


Equestria Girls: The Side Stories

by ChristaWolf, LonghaulHoofer



Series: Equestria Girls [7]
Category: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 01:12:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 119,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9150190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristaWolf/pseuds/ChristaWolf, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonghaulHoofer/pseuds/LonghaulHoofer
Summary: A collection of stories not connected to any particular point in the preceding volumes.





	1. Time And Relative Dimensions In Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem travels back in time to Trottingham in 1854, specifically the time of the Broad Street cholera outbreak as investigated by Dr. John Snow. There, she meets the Dazzlings, and even fills in for Sonata when she falls ill with the aforementioned disease.

Fog and rain blanketed Trottingham as people walked along its streets, protected by the rain as best they could. The year was 1854, and the date was the sixteenth of September. In a dingy alleyway there appeared an exceptionally anachronistic bright red telephone booth with its windows darkened, making a [noise](http://youtu.be/lLQxQNzCyGc) roughly equivalent to a key being scraped down a string. Then it cut off, and out stepped a young grey-skinned female wearing a tweed blazer, a black skirt and leggings, and black shoes. She looked, in short, nothing like people from 1854. But she didn't seem to notice or care as she exited the alleyway, looking around at the town before her and how different it was to what she knew.

Stepping into the main thoroughfare, the townsfolk all stopped to look at this gangly youth and her strange attire.  Imagine, wearing a Middle Eastern fez in the very heart of the British Empire!  Why, that was reserved for those Ottoman Empire folk!  A news hawker stopped her touting of a new weekly paper, The People, long enough to point at Gem.  "Oi, wot manner o' dress is that, ye daft lass?" she cried out, causing the remainder of the pedestrians to turn and stare.

Ducking back down the alleyway, Gem caught sight of a poster attached to the building she had materialized near.  It touted the opening of the Savoy Theatre, and a sign above a small doorway in the alley read 'Savoy - Artists' Entrance Only."  The poster advertised the transfer of the opera Patience, with special guest performance by the Sisters of Symphony.  Their names sounded very familiar to Gem: Adagio, Sonata, and Aria.

Gem stares at the names, disbelieving. “Oh dear, this could go very poorly… still, may as well make the best of it.” she mutters to herself, now wearing a green velvet dress that was covered in stains and patches. She pushes open the door, completely ignoring the sign, and creeps close to the stage, wondering if those girls really were the enchanting pop princesses she had known before.

Emerging from a dressing area near the stage, Adagio led the way, followed by Sonata and Aria.  Sonata and Aria were dressed in simple cotton dresses with very little frill.  Adagio, however, asserting herself as the dominant figure of the group, [dressed](http://bit.ly/1IDhVQy) a little bit fancier. It was Adagio that spotted Gem.  "Well, what have we here?" she said in a condescending tone.  "Have the sewer rats decided to gussy themselves up for our performance this evening?" Aria and Sonata laughed snidely, appraising Gem's wardrobe.

"I am not a sewer rat!" Gem says indignantly. "I'm a noble! I'm... Ah... Lady Priscilla von Wer!"

The trio looked at each other, then at Gem.  As one, all three of them burst into raucous laughter.  Adagio leaned in close.  "Dear girl," she said in a  silky, mocking voice, "never try to put on airs, especially when all you can afford is rags. Here," she continued, slipping two silver coins into Gem's hand, "here's two bob.  Buy yourself a better wardrobe."  With a final laugh, the three made their way to the stage to begin their dress rehearsal.

"Oh... well, ah, thank you, miss!" She dashes off, returning just in time for the show's proper beginning with... a cleaned up version of her earlier outfit.

While the Savoy proper was lit with electric lights, the stage lighting still relied on older methods of illumination.  Flickering candles and lanterns surrounded the stage, as the Dazzlings made their way out to thunderous applause.  The audience grew silent as the orchestra struck the first notes of the song, a more period-appropriate version of a song Gem had heard before.  The audience was enraptured as the trio sang, the red gemstones on their choker collars glowing faintly as they fed on the energy generated by placing the audience deep under their spell.  The song ended and the audience rose as one to provide a standing ovation as the trio took a bow.

Gem would have gasped at the fact that the song sounded like a mid-nineteeth-century version of "Under Our Spell," but she was too busy being thoroughly entranced by their music, again. Perhaps because it was so radically different this time, because while the tune was the same, the words were far more common for this period. At the end she applauds with the rest, unaware that she too had been fed upon.

Adagio spots Gem in the audience and smiles  slightly, nudging the other two and indicating her presence.  They smile also, and quickly compose themselves for the rest of the show.  After forty minutes of music, Adagio steps forward and thanks the crowd for coming this evening.  As they make their way backstage, Adagio summons a stagehand and whispers something to her.  Moments later, that stagehand was at Gem's side.  “Ma'am, the Sisters have requested your presence backstage.  I am to escort you.  Please, follow me, ma’am."

"Right away!" She nods and walks with purpose alongside the stagehand, doing her best to look more like a member of the upper class.

"Just give a knock and they'll let you in.  Good luck ma’am."  With that, the stagehand departs, leaving Gem standing at the door to the dresing room.  She gives a tentative knock.  "Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome, come on in," Adagio's voice calls out in a fake German accent.

Stepping into the room, Gem sees the Dazzlings as they are removing their stage dresses.  All are wearing petticoats and corsets, and they all turn to look at Gem.  "Oh, my my my, if it isn't Lady von Fez," Adagio says with a evil chuckle.  She walks over to her and runs a finger under her chin.  "I must say, you clean up nicely for a street urchin, dear girl."

Gem blushes a light pink, and says, "Oh, well, thank you, m'lady... it's very rare for a performer like you to provide a street urchin like myself with such an allotment of money... if there's anything I can do to repay you, I'll do it without complaint."

"Is that so?" Adagio purred.  "Then, perhaps you could tell us why you are so enraptured with us ... and who you really are."  The three surrounded her.  "You seem to know us, and yet we've never seen you before.  So, tell us, dear lady ... where have we met before?"

Gem gulps, this could be very bad. "Well, I uh... it's a long story, and a lot of it, by which I mean all of it, takes place in..." She checks her watch, "A little over a hundred and thirty three years from now. In your future. And by telling you more than that, I risk contaminating the timeline, even unwriting the future. The fact I'm standing here talking to you is already doing damage."

Silence fell over the room, as once again the three looked at each other, then at Gem.  Laughter once again rang out, this time even louder then the first time. "This one's all yours, Adagio," Aria said.  She led Sonata away, still laughing as they disappeared into another room to finish changing.

"You have quite the knack for fanciful tales," Adagio said.  "It doesn't hurt that you're cute as well.  How would you feel about joining me for dinner this evening?"  She sauntered over, a playful look on her face.  "Looks like you could use a decent meal ... or seven," she said, poking her gently in the ribs.

Gem blushes more and smiles, "I would be honored to join you, miss..." She bows slightly. "If I may be so bold, you... you are very attractive too."

"You are quite the flatterer," Adagio says with a smirk.  "Wait here while I finish changing.  Here, you can read this in the meantime, since you seem to appreciate fanciful stories."  She hands her a magazine, entitled Young Folks.  Inside was a serialized story, "Treasure Island, or, the mutiny of the Hispaniola" written by one "Captain George North."

Returning in the outfit she wore previously, Adagio waked over to Gem.  "Sonata and Aria have gone off ahead.  Looks like you'll have to accompany me through the streets to keep me safe, delicate flower that I am."  She bats her eyelashes.

Gem closes the admittedly exciting magazine and nods, offering her her hand, "Where might we be dining tonight?"

"We'll catch a cab and go to the Cafe Royal.  I hope you like French cuisine," Adagio said, looping her arm around Gem's hand.

* * *

Stepping out of the stage entrance, Adagio is shocked to see the red phone booth sitting in the alleyway.  "What on earth is that thing?" she asked Gem, moving closer to take a better look.

"It's... well, how I arrived," Gem explains. "It's a time machine. It's called the... well, I don't have a name for it just yet."

"You mean to tell me," Adagio said in a soft voice, "that you weren't joking about being from the future?"  She shakes her head.  "Okay.  You're going to tell me as much as you can during dinner tonight, which is my treat because I'm sure you don't have the money to pay for it.  Then, we're going to figure out what to do with you."  Walking out to the main road, Adagio flags down a hansom cab and, with Gem's help, climbs in.  She tells the driver where to go, and they ride in silence to the restaurant.

Once inside the restaurant, Adagio leans in and whispers, "Okay, now ... from the beginning, if you please."

"Well, it all started when..." Then there is a wavy scene transition as things flashback (or forwards) to three weeks earlier.

* * *

It's the height of summer, and Gem and Carrie are in the latter's garage in Trottingham, blueprints spread out on a work bench and an old, rusty red phonebooth is standing in the corner. Gem is holding out her magic screwdriver. "Couldn't we power it using this? I know it's small, but it can pack a lot of power into such a small size. I mean, just look at the circuit board in a smartphone!"

"Let me have a look at that," Carrie said, grabbing the screwdriver away from Gem.  "You've been holding out on me, cuz.  Such an elegant piece of technology and you never let me know it existed?  For shame."  She spins it around, looking at it from every angle.  "So where's the battery compartment?"

"You never asked!" Gem says, blinking as the screwdriver was snatched from her hands, "And... there is no battery compartment. It runs on Equestrian magic, the same stuff Sunset brought over, and what the Dazzlings have utilized in the past."

"So, how do you charge it?" Carrie asked, pointing it at Gem and pressing the button.  A buzzing noise came from the screwdriver and Gem's fez flew off.  "Hm, doesn't seem all that powerful."

"I just let it absorb the ambient magic in the area," she says, picking her hat up again. "But there's not a lot of it around, so it would be a while before it could be used for something as big as a time machine."

"I wonder...." Carrie gets a pencil and starts sketching out a series of circuits.  "Maybe we could make a form of magical amplifier, routing the magical energy through a series of circuits like this, channeling the power to a series of capacitors for storage ... "  Carrie was a virtual blur now, racing around the workshop, grabbing bits of wire and strange looking electronic parts, piecing them together on a circuit board and soldering them in place.  "There," she says, proudly holding her latest invention.  "The magical energy amplifier and storage cell."  She places it in the phone booth, inside the control panel, and wired it to a crude cradle for the magic screwdriver.  "So, theoretically, putting that in the holder will channel the magic energy into the amplifier, generating enough power to fire the chronometer and creating a time bubble to transport you back to wherever it is you want to go."

Gem grins and throws her arms around her cousin in a tight hug, "You, Carrie Shadow, are so brilliant I could kiss you!"

"Not until we see if it works, and not until you have a Tic-Tac or something," Carrie says, placing a hand in front of Gem's mouth.  "Now, remember:  for the present, you can only travel to the past.  Can't go forward because it doesn't exist yet."  She points to a numeric keypad and LED display.  "You enter the time you want to travel to here.  This clock," she says, pointing to an old wall clock, "will stop when you reach the past, allowing you to return at the exact instant you left so as not to mess up the timeline.  Do NOT attempt to adjust this!  Once you have the time set, enter a place here," she says, indicating a regular keyboard and larger LED display.   She points to a green button.  "Then, just press this button and away you go!"

"Oh wonderful!" She climbs in, closing the door behind her, and types in her desired time zone, presses the button, and is off! The ship disappears with a loud noise and a gust of wind.

* * *

In the present, or the past, Gem finishes her story just as the main course is being taken away. "And that's how I got here.”

Adagio is stunned, left speechless by Gem's tale.  "That, by any stretch of the imagination, shouldn't be possible, and yet here you are."  She looked at Gem.  “But how will you get back home?”

“The same way I arrived,” Gem explained, “But backwards. In the meantime, I think I’d like to stay around a little longer, if that’s okay.”

Adagio smiles. ”Come back to our house and you can spend the night there. Luckily for you, you landed near the theatre, so anyone that sees that thing will think it's some form of theatrical prop and leave it be."

Very well!" Gem smiles again, "You've been too kind to me, miss. I cannot thank you enough."

"Call me Adagio," she said, "although I wager you already knew that.  As I suspect you know my sisters, Sonata and Arpeggio."  She smirked.

"I do... or at least, your future selves." She chuckles a bit, "Very well, I shall call you Adagio. I didn't realize you were sisters, though... blood relations and everything?"

"We're related, although at times I wish we weren't.  Those two are constantly bickering, and over the silliest things, too.  When we toured Spain, Sonata fell in love with a local dish -- seasoned meat wrapped in a tortilla. I think they called it a 'taco.'"  Adagio grinned.  "And I see you still don't want to reveal everything ... like my other sister's real name."

"As my cousin is so fond of saying, 'spoilers,'" she says at last, a little teasingly. "Though I will say your aptitude for songwriting only improves over the centuries. The songs you performed tonight were musically familiar to me, if not lyrically."

"Why, thank you," Adagio said, placing a pile of coins on a tray with the bill and passing it to the waiter.  "Now, shall we head back home?  I suspect you might be quite tired after everything that happened."

"Very much so... A good night's sleep seems exactly what I need." She rises and walks with her toward the exit. 

* * *

The next morning, Adagio walked into the side room where Gem was allowed to sleep for the night.  She watched her as she slept, this traveler from a future world, and couldn't help but feel a small twinge of pity for this poor lad.  After all, she and the other two knew the pain of being cast off all too well.  They made the most of their exile, plotting and planning for the day they could recoup their full power and enslave this pitiful little planet to do their bidding.  Adagio smiled as she crafted a plan to further advance that end.

"And just what is she doing here?" Aria said, standing behind Adagio.  "I didn't know you were in the habit of bringing home strays, Addie."

"I dunno, she's kinda cute, " Sonata said, approaching the two and looking over at the still-sleeping Gem.  "Does this make her your girlfriend now, Addie?"

"O-of course not!" Adagio stammered, her cheeks flushing at the not-so-unpleasant thought.  "She has use to us.  All I need to do is keep her under my control until the right time comes.   And then, this world will be ours."

Aria and Sonata shared a look.  "Girlfriend," they said in unison before walking toward the kitchen.

After a while, Gem awakes and walks toward the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea, looking absolutely adorable in her borrowed pajamas and bedhead. Halfway to the kitchen, she stops. "...They won't have iceboxes this early, will they? Or running water? Am I going to need to go to the well?"

"The water closet is through that door, and you can wash in the basin if need be.  Please, join us when you're ready, dear girl."  Adagio smirked at Gem as she made her way to the kitchen.

"...Right." She goes into the water closet, returning shortly thereafter all refreshed. Entering the kitchen, she asks "You do have tea here, I hope? A nice breakfast blend?"

A steaming pot of tea sat on the table.  The trio looked at Gem, then broke out in laughter.  "No tea in England ... that's rich!" Aria said.  Adagio shushed the other two.  "Come, sit.  I imagine you have quite the busy day today."

"Probably." She phews and pours expertly, sitting among the three sirens. "I was considering going to check on my transport... The landing was a little rougher than I would've liked, it might need some tuning up."

Sonata leaned in to Aria.  "Transport?" Whatever is she talking about?"  Aria just shrugged.

"Um .. is there anything I could assist you with?  You never know, a fresh pair of eyes might be beneficial in finding the problem, after all," Adagio suggested.

Aria and Sonata shot each other a glance and winked.

Gem smiles a little, "That's not a bad idea, actually. It should still be in the alley by the theater."

"Since they're performing that opera for the next few nights, we have a bit of a respite, so I'd be glad to assist you."  Adagio smiled at Gem.

Sonata and Aria made kissy-faces at Adagio, until she shot them both a withering look.

Gem rises, "Shall we be off then? I trust your sisters won't burn the house down in our absence."

"Of course."  She rose and and followed Gem, sticking her tongue out at her sisters as they left.

* * *

The booth was right where it had been since Gem's arrival, and seemed untouched by anyone.  "So, where do we start?" Adagio asked.

Gem opens the door, revealing the vast collection of junkyard technology contained within and begins poking around with her magic screwdriver, analyzing everything.

Adagio's eyes are drawn to a small rectangular object.  A pice of wire protruded from the top, and from that wire two small bulbous objects were connected.  She picked up the rectangle and pressed a button marked with a sideways triangle.  Instantly, through the earbuds, the faint refrains of music could be [heard](http://www.apple.com).  She jumped, dropping the rectangle back on the control panel.   "What in the devil is that contraption?  And what was that noise?" she asked.

Gem chuckles, "Music... about a hundred years from now, give or take a few years. The device itself is like... well, a descendent of Edison's phonograph. A really really distant descendent.”

"What a fascinating device," Adagio said, impressed.  "And what sounds!  That sounds like no instrument I've ever had the pleasure of hearing."  Looking at a set of buttons on the control panel, Adagio went to press one, but instead was hit with a wave of energy, the likes of which she hadn't felt in many years. Her jewel glowed brighter,  and she stumbled a bit before regaining her balance.

"Adagio!" Gem gasps, quickly going to catch her, "Are you okay? There was a great big spike in the energy readings coming from your gem."

Adagio nods, and points to where she was.  "There.  That's where I felt it.  I think whatever brought you here is still in there somewhere.  But ... what I felt, that's impossible! It doesn't exist here!"  She looks at Gem.  "You're not one of 'them,' are you?" she asks, completely serious.

"One of..." She pauses, "Oh! An Equestrian? No, I'm human." 

Adagio is stunned.  "You ... you know of Equestria? That's impossible!” Adagio, usually the calm, stoic type, was now completely unnerved by these recent events. She approached Gem cautiously.  "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Gem blushes, “Well yes, I guess I am... never really thought of it before." She places a hand on Adagio’s shoulder. “Is it okay if I stay with you until I can get home?”

Adagio smiled. “But of course, dear girl. I wouldn’t dream of kicking you out now.” She took Gem’s hand. “Come, we can return home and use our time alone to… get to know each other better.” She smirked slightly.

Gem smiled back, misreading the smirk. “I can think of nothing better,” she said, and the two walked hand-in-hand to Adagio’s house once more.

* * *

The Dazzlings spent the next few nights resting their voices while an opera was performed at the Savoy. Unluckily however, one of the girls fell ill with a case of cholera, which was spreading across England like a plague. On the night before the next show, Sonata lay in her bedroom, moaning piteously.

Adagio looked very concerned. "I'm not sure if we'll be able to perform tomorrow, Aria... Doctor Snow has done his best to help her, but even he agrees that she won't be in good condition to sing tomorrow."

"We can't go on with just the two of us," Aria agreed. She crossed her arms and pouted. "Stupid humans and their stupid diseases... I thought we were impervious!"

"We were when we first arrived," Adagio said, "but after having spent so many centuries here, it appears that natural inoculation is weakening."

Gem opened the door of the guest room and poked her head out. "Maybe I could be of help?" she asked, pulling out a red pendant that looked exactly like the ones Adagio and Aria were wearing. 

Aria's eyes narrowed. "Where did you get that?" she asked, looking suspicious.

"From you," Gem replied coolly. "You're going to give it to me for my eighteenth birthday."

"And it works the same way ours does?" Adagio asks, looking thoughtful.

"I think so," Gem says, putting it on. She vocalises quietly, and sure enough the necklace glows slightly as some green mist from outside comes flowing into it. She smiles. "There! I can take Sonata's place at the show until she feels better, then transfer the energy I've collected to her necklace so that she won't have to worry about food."

"How delightfully generous of you, dear girl," Adagio purrs, cupping Gem's cheek in her hand and kissing the grey girl's nose. "Very well. Welcome to the Dazzlings."

* * *

The concerts went off without a hitch. The Dazzlings were as popular as ever, and critics were quick to praise the newest member for her remarkable talent even among the other two performers. By the time the girls' run at the Savoy came to an end, Sonata was feeling much better, and as promised Gem transferred the energy she'd collected into Sonata's pendant.

The next morning was a rainy one, and it found Gem walking back to her time machine alone, umbrella in hand. As she pulled open the door, a yellow hand touched her shoulder. "Leaving so soon?" Adagio said, smirking slightly.

Gem nodded, turning back to face her. "I have to get back to my own time sooner or later," she said. "Besides, I have nothing else to do here."

Adagio nodded. "That is fair enough. It was a pleasure to meet you, my dear. I look forward to our next meeting."

"As do I," Gem said, giving Adagio a hug. "Say goodbye to the others for me." Then she stepped inside the box, closing the door behind her. And with a loud wheezing [sound](http://youtu.be/19I9bnWjmkQ), the red phone booth slowly faded out of existence, leaving little behind in its wake.

* * *

A few moments later, (from Carrie's perspective) Gem's time machine reappeared in the garage, and out fell Gem, still dressed in her Victorian clothes.

"Cousin! You're back!" Carrie said happily, helping Gem to her feet. "How was your maiden voyage?"

Gem smiled. “Musical."


	2. Trixie's Time Trick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trixie attempts to rewrite the time stream to prevent Gem from succeeding in her various world-saving escapades. Meanwhile, Gem teams up with Canterlot's clock repairman to put things right.

Trixie had had enough. After watching that upstart Gemini solve yet _another_ magical problem at the Friendship Games, she simply couldn’t stand it anymore. “That self-satisfied little so-and-so has taken over this school completely!” she shouted at her two companions, [Cloud Kicker](http://bit.ly/1r21xXJ) and [Fuchsia Blush](http://bit.ly/1Y1CnWn). “ _I_ wanted to be the next in line after Shimmer and those so-called Dazzlings dropped the ball, but nooooo!”

“So what are you going to do?” Cloud Kicker asked, tilting her head to the side.

“I don’t know yet,” Trixie said, taking a package of peanut butter crackers from a nearby vending machine, “But I’ll figure something out!”

* * *

That evening, Gem and Carrie were sitting together at Sugarcube Corner, talking amongst themselves. “So, what exactly did you invite me for, cousin?” Carrie asked. “I’m always glad to spend time with you, of course, but still, you were incredibly vague in your email.”

“Long story short,” Gem began, “I think my time machine is breaking down… Sunset and I got trapped in 1967 for a lot longer than either of us intended to be, all because I wasn’t able to refuel it.”

“But it runs on magic,” Carrie countered. “The same kind of magic in your body.” She poked Gem’s hand lightly with one finger. “Can’t you refuel it yourself?”

“I wish,” Gem replied. “But with the fuel tank broken, there’s not much I _can_ do, and you’re the only one who can fix it.”

Carrie sighed. “Well, alright… I’ll take a look at it when we’re done here. It’s in the garage still, isn’t it?”

Gem nodded. “Yep. Can’t risk it falling into the wrong hands, after all.”

From behind her laptop lid, Trixie smirked. “Oh Gemini,” she muttered to herself. “Little do you know how doomed you really are… ahahahahahahaha.” 

* * *

Carrie sat alone in Shadowfall’s garage, dressed in a white lab coat with a pair of goggles in place of her usual glasses. Her hair was tied in its usual bun, and she looked for all the world more like a scientist than a traditional mechanic. Around her waist was a tool belt, and in her hands were some tweezers. She sat at a work bench, poking around at the storage cell that powered her cousin’s time machine.

All of a sudden, the garage door slid open and in stepped Trixie. Carrie looked up, surprised. “Hey! What are you doing here?!” she asked. “You can’t just wander in unannounced, this is a scientific laboratory!”

“Relax,” Trixie said placatingly, holding her hands up. “I’m a friend of Gemini’s.”

“Oh, you are, are you?” Carrie frowned, her brow furrowing. “How come my cousin has never mentioned you? I haven’t even seen you before!”

“I’m new,” Trixie said simply. “But I’m sure she won’t mind my being here. What are you working on?” She stood next to the work bench, looking over Carrie’s shoulder.

“I was just putting the finishing touches on some repair work I’m doing for her,” Carrie said, looking suspicious. “Once I hook this back into the control panel of that machine,” she jerked her head at the red phone booth that sat in the corner, “and power it with this,” she produces Gem’s magic screwdriver, “I should be finished.” She got to her feet and did so, leaving her back turned.

Trixie produced a smoke bomb from a pocket and hid it from view, “And what does this machine do, exactly?”

“It’s a time machine,” Carrie explained. “Use the numeric keypad to input a time in the past, such as September 1st 2013, then use the alphabetic keyboard to input a particular place, then hit the green button to-” she stopped, coughing heavily as blue smoke filled the air. 

Seizing her chance, Trixie grabbed Carrie’s arm and threw her across the room, sending the scientist into the workbench, then dove inside the machine, slamming the door behind her. 

“Hey!” Carrie shouted. “Get out of there! It’s not safe!” But it was too late. Trixie laughed maniacally as the ship slowly [disappeared](https://youtu.be/O_I4n0uScB4) into the ether, eventually fading from view entirely.

* * *

It was the night of the Fall Formal, but not just any Fall Formal: the Fall Formal that led to the downfall of Sunset Shimmer and the beginning of a friendship that led Trixie to this moment. As her stolen time machine reappeared in a janitor’s closet inside the school, she could hear the sounds of people running down the hall, and shouting.

Trixie burst from the closet with her usual magician’s flair and ran down the hall, not caring if she was seen or not. By the time she got to the main courtyard of the school, Sunset was standing by the portal with Gem, Raven, and Twilight Sparkle looking on. “That’s close enough!” she calls, and everyone stops running. 

“Twilight!” Spike shouts, still held in Snips’ and Snails’ clutches.

“Don’t hurt him!” Twilight cries.

Sunset laughed. “Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. I'm not a monster, Twilight.” She glanced to Snips and Snails. “Let him go.” They do so, and Spike jumps into Twilight’s arms.

Sunset turns back to Twilight. “You don't belong here. Give me the crown, and you can go back to Equestria tonight. Or keep it and never go home.” She produces a large sledgehammer, and prepares to hit the statue base as everyone gasps. “Tick-tock, Twilight. We haven't got all night. The portal will be closing on its own in less than an hour. So, what's your answer?”

There was a pause. Finally, Twilight steeled her resolve. “No.”

Sunset gaped. “What!? Equestria! Your friends! Lost to you forever! Don't you see what I'm about to do to the portal?!”

Twilight nodded, “Yes, but I've also seen what you've been able to do here without magic. Equestria will find a way to survive without my Element of Harmony. This place might not, if I allow it to fall into your hands. So go ahead. Destroy the portal. You are not getting this crown!”

Sunset dropped the sledgehammer and sighed. “Fine, you win!”

Raven cheered. “You... are... so awesome! It's no wonder you're a real live princess!”

“Oh yes, she’s so very special!” Sunset hissed, advancing on Twilight.

“No!” Gem grabs the crown and tosses it to Raven as the group start playing a high-stakes game of keep-away. Unluckily, Sunset manages to win.

Holding the crown in both hands, Sunset grins. “At last! More power than I could ever imagine!” And she puts it on her head. Immediately, there’s a flash of bright light, and Sunset undergoes a painful transformation into something altogether more terrifying: a demon.

Inspecting her new form, she can only laugh as the other students begin to scream in terror. “I've had to jump through so many hoops tonight just to get my hands on this crown, and it really should have been mine all along! But let's let bygones be bygones. I am your princess now, and you will be loyal... to me!” She made a fist, and the entire front entrance of the building was lifted from its foundations and tossed into a corner. Then she snapped her fingers, and the rest of the student body (except Trixie) starts moaning, swirls in their eyes.

Sunset smirks, and looks to her two goons, who are also demons. “Round them up and bring them to the portal!” she commands. Turning to Twilight and friends, she speaks again. “Spoiler alert: I was bluffing when I said I was going to destroy the portal. I don't want to rule this pathetic little high school; I want Equestria! And with my own little teenage army behind me, I am going to get it!”

“No, you’re not!” says Twilight defiantly, as she, Gem, and Raven all look at Sunset with similar expressions. 

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Oh, please! What exactly do you think you're going to do to stop me? I have magic, and you have _nothing_!”

“She has us!” say Gem and Raven together, looking defiant.

Sunset glares at him. “Step aside, human! Twilight has tried to interfere with my plans one too many times already! She needs to be dealt with!” And she produces a ball of fire, which she throws at the trio. 

Thinking quickly, Trixie produces the stolen magic screwdriver and clicks it on, amplifying the fireball’s power. Screams fill the air as the three girls are badly burnt. The ball disperses, revealing three ruined outfits and three very weak girls. 

Sunset sighs. “I had been planning on killing them,” she said, “But I suppose this will have to do.” Laughing maniacally, she marches the teenagers through the portal to Equestria. Trixie slips off into the darkness, disappearing as quickly as she had come.

* * *

The sky above Canterlot was an ominous, fiery red. The palace had become a twisted mockery of itself, with statues of a towering she-demon on every corner, and flags bearing a red and yellow sun on every building. In a makeshift throne room sat a tall, red-skinned creature with fiery hair, demonic wings, and long, clawed fingers. Beside her were her two minions, Snips and Snails, both of them also transformed into demons like herself. Outside, humans patrolled the streets, their eyes glowing malevolently, keeping frightened ponies in line. After the two dimensions were merged into one, word spread across Equestria of the Princesses' defeat, and the subsequent ascension of Sunset Shimmer, Celestia’s former student. Ponies hid, too terrified to risk leaving the safety of their homes for fear of angering their new Queen.

Gemini Shadow woke with a start, gasping in horror and surprise. Her bed had been replaced by a lumpy old mattress, and her room was switched with a prison cell, which was actually a converted classroom at CHS. She wore a bright orange jumpsuit, and chains around her legs. She looked tired, beaten, and abused, but most of all, she looked angry.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway as a guard, one of Sunset’s chosen, walked toward her cell. The guard was seven feet tall and demonic in shape, though still somewhat human, and bore a resemblance to Luna, the former vice principal. She unlocked the door of Gem’s cell, handcuffed her, and said “Come with me, Queen Shimmer has demanded your presence,” in a low, guttural growl. 

“I may as well,” Gem sighed, “Considering I haven’t anything else to do.” She and the demon guard walked through the prison hallways to the gymnasium, now a throne room.

Up on the stage, Sunset Shimmer sat on a throne carved out of dark stone, her clawed hands resting on the arms. She smirked and bared her fangs, licking her lips as she did so. “Well well well, if it isn’t one of the three idiots who thought they could defeat me,” she said. “How very wrong you were, Gemini Shadow.”

“You won by pure luck!” Gem hissed, nearly shaking with fury. “If it wasn’t for that accursed fireball, we would have defeated you!”

Sunset laughed richly, her voice echoing off the walls of the gymnasium. “Even now, a week after my victory, you still hold out hope… don’t you know there is nothing that can save you now? Twilight Sparkle has been made one of my slaves, and as for your girlfriend… well, it’d be easier to show you.” She looked to Luna. “Guard, bring me the new convert!”

Luna nodded and went out, revealing a purple-skinned demon girl with purple and black hair and magenta eyes.

Gem gasped in horror, backing away. “…Raven…. it can’t be you…”

“It is,” Raven said, laughing as she landed in front of Gemini. “Believe me, I was very much like you when I first got imprisoned. I wanted to defeat our Queen _so_ badly… But like everyone else here, I got re-educated, and now I’m one of her minions, as you can plainly see.” She runs her fingers through Gem’s hair. “Don’t worry, there’ll be room for you too, once you submit.”

“She has proven to be resistant to the usual methods,” Luna added. “We may need to redouble our efforts.”

“I agree,” said Sunset, smiling down at Gem. “One day soon, little human, you too will join our-” She was interrupted by the throne room doors crashing open as a tan-skinned [young man](http://bit.ly/1WZuhxY) with spiky brown hair wearing a long brown trench coat, a blue pinstripe suit, and red tennis shoes ran into the room. Barely stopping for breath, he aimed a silver cylinder with a blue light at one end at Gem’s cuffs and chains, and they broke, freeing her, then gripped her hand. “Run!”

Gem ran for her life, holding hands with the new arrival. “Who are you?” she asked. “Where did you come from?”

“No time!” shouted the man as they ran through the hallways of the school, being chased by several of Sunset’s soldiers. After a few moments they arrived at what appeared to be a dead end, except for the tall blue police box. “You and me inside that box, now!” shouted the man, snapping his fingers. The doors swung open.

Gem nodded and dived for the box, landing hard on the floor. The man ran in, helped her up, and the doors closed with another snap of his fingers.

Gem got to her feet and looked around in sheer astonishment at the room in which she found herself. It was [cavernous](http://bit.ly/1WZvtS7), with golden walls and hexagonal roundels imprinted onto them. There was a red-tiled ramp leading from the doors to a hexagonal platform. On the platform was a second, circular platform, on which sat an organic-looking control console lit by green lights and covered with a wide variety of seemingly random objects. The entire room was supported by six coral pillars arranged in a hexagonal pattern that met at the room's ceiling. Below Gem’s feet were storage areas.

“It’s impossible!” Gem sputtered. “It’s bigger on the inside!”

“Yes it is,” said the man, who was standing at the console. He pulled a lever and the room was filled with a great wheezing and groaning [sound](https://youtu.be/T41CyeD9lpA?list=PLHed3BUTb7ZJRMvtPqMEQkq5LG-5W2_kA). “I’m the Doctor, this a time machine, and you, miss, are in deep trouble.”

Gem stared at him. “Why?” she asked. “You’ve only just rescued me from a horde of monstrous demons, one of whom is… was… my girlfriend!”

The Doctor nodded. “Right. And that whole misadventure was never supposed to happen.”

“It clearly did,” Gem argued, frowning. “I was there!”

“Someone’s been changing your timeline,” the Doctor continued. “Going back to key points and changing the outcome to bring you down.”

“Why me?” asked Gem. “I’m not exactly the most important girl in the universe.”

The Doctor smiled. “I wouldn’t go that far,” he said, walking down the ramp to where Gem stood, near the doors. “You’re Gemini Aquarius Shadow, future mayor of Canterlot, mother of two, outspoken transgender rights activist, and periodic defender of the planet Earth. I don’t know who’s got a grudge against you, but we’re going to find out and put things back the way they should be.”

“Before we do all that,” Gem said, not feeling reassured in the least, “How do you know so much about time travel? Or me? I’ve never even met you before!”

“You will,” the Doctor replied simply. “I won’t look like this, but it’ll still be me.”

Gem shook her head and crossed her arms. “You’re either insane, a stark-raving lunatic, or correct… either way, I expect you to prove it to me.”

“If you say so,” said the Doctor, pushing several buttons on the console and then flipping another lever. “Allons-y!”

* * *

They materialized on the very night of the Fall Formal where Sunset Shimmer’s evil plan was a complete success. Sheltered behind a tree, the pair watched as Gem’s younger self ran outside with Raven and Twilight, chasing Sunset Shimmer and her two goons. Trixie watched from behind another tree.

“Do you recognize that girl?” the Doctor whispered, pointing at the blue magician.

Gem nodded. “That’s Trixie Lulamoon, one of the most annoying girls at Canterlot High… but what does she have to do with this?”

“Well,” the Doctor continued, “Note that red phone box a few feet away, and the copper tube with the green light she’s holding in her hand. Those are yours, or will be. But only if we stop her first.”

“By doing what?” asked Gem, looking puzzled.

“This!” The Doctor ran out, brandishing that silver wand again, and pushing the button on the side. The tip glowed blue, causing sparks to come from the device Trixie was holding. She dropped it in surprise, right into the Doctor’s waiting hand. 

Trixie gasped, “Hey! That was mine!”

“It really isn’t,” the Doctor said coolly, slipping both devices into his pocket. Wasting no time, he pulled Gem back into the confines of his ship just as Sunset’s fireball burst apart, blocked by the lavender shield cast by Twilight Sparkle.

* * *

Trixie growled and slammed her fist into the doors of her stolen time machine. That stupid jerk in the suit had ruined _everything_! With her plan to alter the Fall Formal in ruins, she had no choice but to go forward in time to the day of the Battle of the Bands. There was no way _this_ plan could go wrong.

She landed in the same janitor's closet that she had arrived in the first time and headed to the gymnasium. The bleachers were filled with bored students who watched Gem's and Raven's musical lovers' quarrel with increasing disinterest. Hiding backstage, Trixie watched as Raven's band left the stage, and Vinyl Scratch approached Gem with her MP3 player in hand.

Thinking quickly, Trixie ran past Vinyl and snatched the MP3 player from the DJ, stomping on it with her boot.

"What the hay?!" Vinyl exclaimed. "That cost me two hundred dollars!"

"I don't care," Trixie said, smirking evilly. "It got me what I wanted: your little plan to bring Gemini and Raven will fail, and the Dazzlings will take over."

"You're totally bonkers, Trix," Vinyl spat. "Get out of here!"

"Besides," Gem said coldly, "Why on Earth would I ever want to date somebody like her?" She pointed a finger at Raven, "She's not exactly my type!"

"Oh, is that what this is now?" Raven spat, "Class warfare? Lemme guess, I'm too good for Miss High-and-Mighty Prissypants?" She turned away. "Go jump off a bridge, already! I hate you!"

Sunset facepalmed. "So much for saving my friends," she muttered.

* * *

When the night of the Battle came, the Dazzlings were able to sing more or less unopposed, since their only "competition" was Trixie's band. The hill that would've otherwise contained a defiant quintet of Gem, Raven, Sunset, Octavia, and Vinyl was empty. Gem, Raven, and Octavia were now part of the audience, while Sunset and Vinyl avoided the festivities altogether.

After a [song](https://youtu.be/aOEKu8L5UqQ) sung by Trixie about how great she was, the Dazzlings themselves finally took the stage. Walking in time to a thunderous bassline that rumbled throughout the stadium, they sang a song of [victory](https://youtu.be/sOgo9GdrD2Q), ending with the lines "We will be adored! Tell us that you want us, we won't be ignored, it's time for our reward! Now you need us, come and heed us, nothing can stop us noooooow!" As they sang these words, the three transformed, growing dragon-like wings, ears, and tails, even fangs. Sure enough, nothing came to stop them.

* * *

After the show, Adagio smiled at her reflection in the dressing room mirror. At long last, after so many centuries of trying, they'd done it: their full magical power was restored, and they had transformed into their old bodies once again, scales, cloven hooves, fins, and all. "It feels so good to be back, don't you think girls?" she asked, turning around to look at her sisters.

"It really does," Aria agreed, surveying her hooves and clopping them together. "I was getting so sick of that human body... skin and hair has nothing on this."

"You bet!" Sonata gushed, munching on a taco she had procured from a terrified vendor.

"What's the plan now, boss?" Aria asked. "I mean, we only have the population of that school under our spell, what about the rest of the world?"

Adagio grinned, baring her fangs as she did so. "I'm so glad you asked, little sister," she purred. "Very glad indeed..."

The plan, as it turned out, was to go on a world tour, visiting every major city the girls could think of. They went to Whinnyapolis, Las Pegasus, (much to Aria's distaste) Manehattan, Saint Luna, Paris, Rome, and of course, Trottingham. After nearly a year's worth of touring, the work was done: the entire world was now adoring them, prostrating themselves at their hooves, even worshipping them as goddesses.

When they returned to Canterlot, they found it transformed into a city dedicated to them. Statues of the girls were everywhere, clothing shops sold t-shirts with their pictures on them, restaurants had dishes named and designed after them, and every street corner was covered with [posters](http://bit.ly/1Y4uhfL) reminding everyone who was really in charge.

The girls came to live at Canterlot High, using their powers to transform it into a palace. One fateful day, one of their servants, a girl named Raven Shadow, ran to the throne room located in the gymnasium. "My queen!" she exclaimed, bowing to Adagio.

Adagio considered the lavender-skinned human before her and smiled. "Yes?" she asked.

"One of the local radio stations has started playing unapproved music," Raven explained, taking out a portable radio and tuning it to 112.3 FM. [Unearthly noises](https://youtu.be/SzrH52QeAao) the likes of which the Dazzlings had never heard before came from the speaker.

Adagio growled, her muzzle wrinkling as she did so. "Bring me the idiots responsible for this!" she hissed at Raven. "I will see to it that they are publicly humiliated! How _dare_ they threaten our power!" She swam through the air like it was water, headed toward the station building. 

When she arrived, Adagio found three figures sitting in the main control room: one was Vinyl Scratch, a local disk jockey, one was a tan-skinned man with spiky brown hair and a pinstriped suit, and the last was a grey-skinned girl with long brown hair, and green eyes. "And just what do you think you're doing?!" she snarled.

"Attracting your attention," the Doctor replied, getting to his feet. "This stops now, Adagio Dazzle. Release these people from the mass hypnosis you've put them in."

"I will not," Adagio hissed. "This world is _mine_ , and it will stay that way! You three can't do anything to stop it!"

"We can," Gem said, standing beside the Doctor. She looked to him. "Back to the Battle?"

The Doctor nodded. "Back to the Battle. Come along, Vinyl!" And they ran for their lives, with Adagio in hot pursuit.

* * *

The three of them had materialized at the competition, and as they approached the auditorium, they could hear the audience getting restless.

"I can't believe I actually did that," Gem said, watching her younger self singing venomously on stage. 

"It's not your fault," Vinyl reminded her, squeezing her hand. "It was the Dazzlings' fault, and you know it."

Finally, the moment came. Raven's song ended, and the younger Vinyl approached the younger Gemini with her MP3 player, only to have Trixie steal it and smash it. The older Vinyl took out her undamaged one and handed it to the Doctor, who shouted "Hey Vinyl! Catch!" 

The younger Vinyl turned in surprise and held out her hands. The Doctor tossed the MP3 player to her, and the younger Vinyl was able to remind the younger Gem why it was that she loved Raven so much anyway.

Trixie, who had been halfway down the hallway by the time this happened, turned around and ran back to the others, jabbing a finger into the Doctor's chest. "So _you're_ the one who's been undoing my victories!" she hissed, glaring. "Don't you know who I am? I am the Grrrreat and Powerful Trrrixie, and I will not be denied!"

"I'm only making sure history goes the way it's supposed to," the Doctor tells her, not even flinching. 

"What I would like to know," Gem says, crossing her arms, "is why you decided that traveling in time, using a machine that you stole from me, was a good idea in the first place!"

"Ladies, please," the Doctor interrupted, "Let's go somewhere quiet. I'm sure we can sort this out amicably."

The somewhere quiet turned out to be the Doctor's ship. Once inside, Gem and Trixie continued their argument. 

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has watched with increasing anger and dismay at how _you_ ," Trixie jabbed Gem in the chest with her finger, "have done everything possible to change this school completely! Before you came, this place would have been ridiculously easy to conquer, but now that I can't, I decided to go back in time and stop you from ever winning!"

"And in doing so, you still failed in your goal," Gem pointed out. "First Sunset took control of the place, then the Dazzlings. I never saw you in either alternate future, so my guess is that you were probably killed in both! And let's not even discuss how, if I really wanted to, I could have you charged for petty theft! Time travel is a dangerous business, and you're incredibly lucky that he," she pointed to the Doctor, who was watching and eating a banana, "showed up when he did, or else we would never have been able to reset the timelines properly!"

"All this shows," Trixie exclaims, "is that once again you're more interested in making yourself look good. All this talk about friendship and magic is nonsense! It's all about you! If you ever turn evil like Sunset or Twilight Sparkle did, I bet it'll be for completely selfish reasons too!"

"Then keep dreaming," Gem shouted, "because it'll never happen!"

"Girls, how about I take you both home and try to move on from this?" the Doctor suggested. "The timelines are back to where they should be, neither of you have been hurt, and let's face it, that's all that _really_ matters."

"I agree," Gem says, looking back to Trixie. "Trixie, honestly, can you please not try anything like this again? If you're going to have a grudge against me, fine, just don't try to pull stunts like this."

Trixie sighed. "Fine... I'm sorry, Gemini. You can have your time machine back too."

The Doctor smiled. "That's more like it!"

* * *

After making sure Gem's time machine was safely put away and both girls were returned to the present day, the Doctor had a thought. "Gem, what day is it?" he asked.

Gem checked her phone. "October 21st," she said. "Why? Is that important?" Outside, an old man in a white lab coat and a boy in denim and an orange vest got out of a futuristic car and looked around, unimpressed.

The Doctor shrugged. "Not really. If it was the 23rd of November I would have said yes. Anyway..." He went to the door of the ship and opened it for her, "You'd best be off! School night and all!"

Gem smiled and nodded, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Goodbye Doctor," she said. "Just one thing though... Doctor who?"

The Doctor laughed. "Time Turner, of course! I own that watch repair shop on Baker Street. You know, "Fixing Time? It's building 221a."

Gem nodded in recognition. "I never knew that was you! Next time I go by, I'll wave. So long!"

"See you later, Gemini," the Doctor said, waving.

Gem closed the door behind her and headed home, walking into the sunset.


	3. Take These Broken Wings And Learn To Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of Raven's early life prior to meeting Gem.

“You gotta leave!” shouted Mellori Sable, pointing a furious finger at her soon-to-be ex-husband, Albicollis. “You hurt my daughter again, and I’ll break both your arms!”

Albicollis swayed and brandished an empty wine bottle at his wife, “I gotta hurt her,” he slurred. “She’s a baaaad girl, dressin’ all in leathers and talkin’ street all the time…”

“She’s only doing that because you ain’t much of a parent!” Mellori shouted back. “If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be livin’ in the projects!”

“Aw, shuddup,” said Albicollis. “At least I’m not a skank!”

Mellori bunched her hands into fists and took a swing at her husband, her face incandescent with rage. “YOU TAKE THAT BACK!” she screamed.  “TAKE THAT BACK, YOU BASTARD!”

Albicollis ducked and swung the empty bottle against his wife’s head, shattering it. She fell to the ground as blood fell like tears from her face, staining the moth-eaten carpet. They fought like this for another few hours, until eventually Albicollis stomped out of the house and into the streets, never to return. 

Meanwhile, 10-year-old Corvus Sable sat hidden in his bedroom, his arms wrapped protectively around his 6-year-old younger sister, Raven. She looked into his face, her eyes wet with tears. “Are we gonna be okay, Corvus?” she half-whispered.

“We’ll be okay,” Corvus said softly, running his fingers through her hair to calm her down. “We’ll be okay… I’m always gonna be there for you, little sis. I promise.”

* * *

As time went on, Mellori’s condition only continued to worsen. Suffering from some brain damage as a result of Albicollis’ assault, she turned to cigarettes and alcohol as a means to escape the pain, neglecting her daughter and son in the process. Albicollis had been sole breadwinner of the family, and with him gone, the family slid deeper into poverty. 

Raven began spending more and more time at the houses of friends, forming a gang of sorts calling themselves “The Flock.” With them, she learned how to fight and defend herself in case she was ever attacked or sexually assaulted. She put up a tough front, warning everybody who dared to cross her that they would receive a knuckle sandwich if they so much as laid a hand on her.

Once he was old enough to get a paying job, Corvus got hired by a fast-food conglomerate and began working so the family could still receive a modest income. His sister, meanwhile got herself into trouble by acting out in school, starting fights, and spending most of her afternoons in detention. Sensing trouble, Corvus packed up his sister and moved the two of them to Canterlot, where he went to college, and became her legal guardian in the process.

* * *

Raven’s first day of high school dawned with the ringing of her alarm clock. She slammed the snooze button with her fist and kept snoring, waking only when Corvus knocked on the door and said “Sis? You’ve got to get up sometime, the bus isn’t going to wait around all day!”

“Fiiiiine,” Raven moaned. “I’m gettin’ up, keep your hair on, bro…” She pulled on her usual outfit of dark jeans, combat boots, a dark purple t-shirt with a picture of a purple raven in flight with a trail of stars beside it on it, and a leather jacket. After she ran a brush through her hair, she tromped down the stairs to grab a couple of toaster pastries, which she ate raw. 

Then, after a quick bus ride, she stepped in through the front doors of Canterlot High for the very first time, looking around. Students of every color, gender, and size surrounded her, talking animatedly about their summer vacations. Raven went to her locker and began getting her things, keeping to herself. Without the Flock to protect her, she didn’t want to interact.

As she turned to head to homeroom, the hallway fell silent as an amber-skinned girl with red and yellow hair appeared. She too wore a leather jacket, with a dark pink t-shirt decorated with a picture of the sun on it beneath, with boots and an orange skirt. The students cowered and did their best to hide their faces, not daring to cross her. 

Sunset Shimmer surveyed the scene before her and immediately found something out of place: a lavender skinned girl toward the end of the hallway with purple and black hair.  “Well well well, you look new,” she said, smirking. 

“Wanna make somethin’ of it?” Raven asked, her fingers bunching into fists almost by instinct.

“I’m just going to give you a friendly warning,” Sunset continued, ignoring the fist. “I’m Sunset Shimmer, and Canterlot High is _my_ turf. If I see or hear you muscling in on it, we’re going to have some problems.”

“Go to hell,” Raven spat, glaring at Sunset. “This ain’t my first rodeo, Sunny! Back where I came from, everyone knew not to screw around with the Flock, ‘cause they knew they’d be cruisn’ for a bruisin’ if they tried! And I ain’t about to bow to you, Miss High and Mighty Princess!”

“You will,” Sunset said, smirking more. “You’re all alone here, after all. All you get is one warning. If I have to talk to you again, I’ll make sure there’s a punishment.” And she walked away, swinging her hips as she did so.

* * *

Raven spent the first half of that semester doing her best not to let Sunset get under her skin, but this proved to be difficult. For reasons she couldn't even begin to guess at, the school's lead bully seemed to have a particular hatred for her. She was regularly tripped in the hallway, and on Halloween, was covered in glue and feathers when she opened her locker to get her books.

Things came to a head in the week prior to Christmas vacation. Sunset had been surprisingly well-behaved for most of the week, leading Raven to wonder whether she had come down with a case of holiday cheer or not. Mid-year exams came thick and fast, meaning the only time Raven had to not think about what her brother had taught her the night before during her cramming session was lunch.

As she sat down with her tray at her usual lonely table by the window, Sunset stepped up. “Good morning, Bird Brain,” she said, smirking strangely.

Raven glared at her. “What do ya want, Sunny? I’m tryin’ to eat here! Say your piece and get out!”

Sunset gasped theatrically. “Oh, is that the thanks I get for being such a well-behaved member of society the last couple weeks? Imagine my surprise! I guess I shouldn’t really expect much. It’s not like _you’ve_ ever had a decent Christmas before.”

Raven stopped. “Say that again,” she growled, narrowing her eyes.

“I just think it’s a crying shame that someone like you has never had a good Christmas,” Sunset continued. “But it’s also not surprising! After all, your dad’s a deadbeat and your mom’s a drunk! I really shouldn’t have expected much.”

Somehow, their voices had risen, carrying throughout the room and silencing the usual lunchtime din. Never, in their wildest dreams, did the other students ever think that Sunset would sink that low.

Raven stood up, her eyes practically twin pools of magenta fire. “You can call me poor,” she growled, “You can call me stupid, you can call me any name you damn well like, but only a COWARDLY BITCH-“ she shouted the last two words, “INSULTS MY FAMILY!” She advanced on Sunset, backing her up toward the window. “THAT’S IT!” Raven continued, shaking in anger. “SAY YOUR PRAYERS, MISSY!” And she grabbed Sunset’s arms, throwing her into the nearest table and leaping on top of her, punching every bit of her that she could. The students gathered and formed a circle, chanting “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!”

This went on for several moments as each side retaliated, then all of a sudden, the doors slammed open and a voice shouted “BE STILL!” The sound echoed off the walls and through the room, silencing the chanting students and the melee going on in the middle of the room. Both girls were hurt, but not grievously so.

Lowering her megaphone, Vice Principal Luna walked quickly toward Raven and Sunset, with Nurse Redheart coming in behind. The nurse quickly began checking the severity of the injuries, then said “Apart from some nasty cuts and bruises, Miss Luna, these two are otherwise okay. I’d recommend spending the rest of the day in my office though, with ice packs and such.”

Luna nodded. “Of course, Miss Redheart. But first..” She turned to glower at the two girls. “Ladies, I am only going to say this once, and this goes for both of you: if I _ever_ catch either of you fighting one another again, for _any_ reason, I will expel both of you. Be grateful it is Christmas vacation, or else I would have you both suspended indefinitely. As it is, the two of you are to spend the remainder of the school day in the nurse’s office. When you return from break, I expect far better behavior than this craven, cowardly display. You should both be ashamed of yourselves.” She left the room, with Redheart, Sunset, and Raven following along in her wake.

* * *

While the discipline Luna had given her had certainly been strong, that was nothing compared to the verbal beat down Raven received almost as soon as she stepped through the front door of the house she shared with Corvus. "In case you forgot, Raven, this isn't Manehattan!" Corvus shouted. "You gotta stop pretending that it is! The old rules don't apply!"

Raven had no response to this, she just stomped upstairs to her room once it was over and slammed the door shut.

* * *

The new school year began with the arrival of a new student, and the first real test of Raven's resolve. On the first day back after summer vacation, Raven entered the halls to see a grey-skinned young girl dressed in a blue blouse with a white ruffled skirt and black boots. 

Sunset came up from behind the girl and said “Well well well, look at what we’ve got here… a new plaything.”

The new girl blinked and turned to look, then frowned. “Excuse me? A plaything? I am no one’s plaything, madam! I am a girl, just as you are!”

Sunset smirked. “Ooh, she speaks! Or should I say it? Or he? I can’t tell! After all, only boys have a chest as flat as yours.” She shook her head and laughed derisively. “And what an accent! Am I supposed to bow in the presence of someone clearly as ‘high class,’” she made finger quotes, “as you? As if. Sunset Shimmer bows to nobody, he-she.” With that she grabs the new girl’s collar in one hand and shoves her up against the locker, drawing her other hand back in a fist to punch her.

“Hey!” The new girl exclaims, struggling to get free. “Let me go! It’s only my first day!”

Sunset smirked. “Oh it is, huh? Well, let me give you your first lesson: my name is Sunset Shimmer, and I’m the one who really rules this dump. If you’re smart, you’ll stay on my good side."

At these words, Raven stormed over and grabbed Sunset's fist, causing the bully to pale visibly. "I thought we had a deal, Shimmer," Raven hissed. "You leave kids alone and I don't give you that face rearranging I should have given you before break."  A sinister grin crossed her face.  "Or, does this mean our deal is now officially canceled?"

Sunset lowered her arm and gulped audibly.  "Hey, I didn't know he... she... it... was with you, okay?  It was ... it was an accident."  

"Be more careful next time, Shimmer," Raven hissed, “Or my fist may accidentally relocate your nose."  She released her grip on Sunset's arm.  "Get out of here," she commanded, and Sunset quickly complied, shooting a glare over shoulder as she did so. 

Raven smiled and turned to address the new girl. "Name's Raven. You new here?"

The new girl smiles and nods, "Transferred from Trottingham... I am Gemini Shadow, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She offers a hand for her to take. "Oh, and thank you for... well, saving me."

Raven shakes Gem's hand.  "Oh, it's no trouble at all.  Y'see, Sunset and I had a little ... disagreement when I first transferred here from Manehattan.  Seems she didn't like the studious types and I didn't like how symmetrical her teeth were."  She chuckled.  "We made a deal after that -- if she left my friends and me alone, I wouldn't try to forcibly remove delicate parts of her anatomy."    She grinned at Gem, a small flush spreading over her cheeks.  "So, what brought you here from Trottingham?"

Gem's smile fades abruptly, replaced by a frown filled with sadness and deep regret, “I was expelled,“ she says finally, “Though I don't really like to talk about it… only the Principals know so far." She looks up again, staring into her eyes. "I'm not going to tell you yet... not because I don't trust you, but because I don't feel I'm ready yet." The bell rings at that moment, and she quickly grabs a book, "Sorry, I need to go... I'll be late to history. See you at lunch!" She runs off, disappearing into the crowd of other students.

Raven waves as Gem runs off to her next class.  "Yeah, see you then," she calls after him, then under her breath she says, "I hope ... "  She shakes her head, wondering where that came from, and heads off to her physics lesson.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Miss Luna?" Raven said, opening the door of Luna's office.

Luna nodded. "Come right in, Miss Sable." Once Raven sat down, she began. "It has come to my attention that you came to the aid of our new student, Gemini Shadow, when she arrived here yesterday morning. You will recall that I told you that you would be expelled if you had any further negative interactions with Miss Shimmer. However..." She gave Raven a small smile. "I would be remiss in the extreme if I expelled you for assisting another student from being attacked. Furthermore, I am also told that Miss Shadow has expressed an interest in befriending you. I urge you to take her up on this.”

Raven nodded. “I was already thinking so, Miss Luna… she… she really is a nice girl.”

Luna’s smile grew wider. “By all means, pursue her.”

* * *

Luna’s faith in Gem turned out to be well placed. As time went on, Raven and Gem fell head over heels in love, and while there were some rocky spots along the way, both girls agreed in time that it had all been worth it.


	4. All That Glitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem helps Snails come out of her shell.

Snails had never wanted to be the villain. It wasn't like he had much choice, however. All of his life, he had been considered to be… well, average. His grades weren't high, but they weren't low, either, just somewhere in the middle. He could read fairly well, and he could type fairly well, but neither of those things were considered to be particularly impressive, at least at his age. There was absolutely nothing about Snails that set him apart from the other students. Well, _almost_ nothing.

He and Snips had been friends ever since elementary school, when they'd shared half a Twinkie on the bus. They made for an odd pair: he was thin and bony with a slow speech pattern, while Snips was rotund and spent most of his time convincing Snails to do things that he didn't exactly want to do, but never felt like he could call his friend out. In time, their friendship became well known in the Canterlot school district: they would always be those two guys, not exactly bright, always getting themselves into trouble. The record was that the two of them had spent more time in detention than any other student in the district, and that included the other dynamic duo, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Given all of this, Snails had never held a high opinion of himself. He was regarded by everyone as being slow and dull-witted, unable to express himself properly. He was skinny as they come, and his clothes did him no favours either. What was more, he was an introvert stuck in a less than stellar friendship with an extrovert who always had some scheme or other up his sleeve. About the only thing he could say that made him truly happy was something he could never tell anyone else, even his best friend: he liked dresses.

It had started in middle school. All the girls he knew were starting to go through puberty, and the hallways were filled with talk of training bras, cup sizes, and sooner or later, getting their first periods. But that wasn't all: as the school year went on, the girls became curvier and curvier, and began talking about things like buying dresses for school dances, or swimsuits for weekend beach trips. Snails knew what dresses were, of course, he'd seen his mother wear them all the time. He always wondered what it might be like to wear one of his own, and so, he saved up all his allowance, Christmas, and birthday money to buy one. Finally, one weekend, he had all the money he needed, and, after grabbing his backpack and telling Mom that he was going to go study at Snips’ house, snuck out to [Canterlot Mall](https://www.derpibooru.org/1471500) to go shopping.

Canterlot Mall was utterly enormous, and while it only had two floors, there were dozens upon dozens of shops there, for every conceivable interest. There were clothing stores, music stores, two bookstores, a food court, electronics stores, and more besides. When he arrived, he walked up to a directory board and ran his finger down the list, looking for the nearest possible clothing store.

He found one, in time: it was called Manehattan and Company, and it was on the second floor. He went to an escalator and climbed on, then once it got to the top floor, headed off in the direction of the store. He got more and more nervous as he went. After all, it wasn’t normal for boys of any age to walk into women’s clothing shops. He gulped as he approached the entrance, but remembered the money sitting in his wallet, and decided to take the plunge.

The inside of the store was [huge](http://bit.ly/2s9k6ut), with racks upon racks of clothes in every conceivable size, shape, and style. Unsure of where to begin, he approached the dress section, and (to his immense relief) was not looked at by any of the women browsing, at least until the woman behind the check out counter cleared her throat and said: “Can I help you find anything, _sir_?” She emphasized the male pronoun.

Snails jumped and turned to face the [woman](https://derpibooru.org/885507) who had just spoken to him. She was tall, with deep grey skin and salmon-pink hair and eyes, and a stern expression on her face. She wore a pastel pink suit, with white and gold accents. “I… uh…” Sweat ran down his face. “I’m looking for something for my sister,” he said at last.

The woman nodded. “Very well. Is your sister with you?”

Snails shook his head. “No ma’am, she’s at home… it’s a surprise, for her birthday.”

The woman nodded again. “I see. As you were.” And she went back to what she had been doing.

Snails, meanwhile, turned his attention to the dresses, and considered his options. Every color was represented here, but choosing one was difficult, as he had to make sure it didn’t clash with either his soft orange skin or his turquoise hair.

After a few minutes of searching, he found what he was looking for: it was a soft blue [dress](http://bit.ly/2s94hnT) with a little row of gold buttons going across the collar. It was fairly basic as far design went, just plain blue fabric without any other distinguishing characteristics. But it felt soft beneath his fingertips, much softer than any of the clothes he owned. He took it from the rack and, after making sure the stern woman was otherwise engaged, slipped to the fitting rooms as quickly, and as quietly, as possible.

Entering a small room with only a bench to sit on, Snails quickly began changing clothes, hanging up his shirt and jacket on a hook attached to the door, while placing his jeans on the bench. Heart racing, he took a deep breath and slipped on the dress.

It was a supremely strange experience, wearing a dress for the first time. The fabric felt velvety soft against his chest, and as he turned around in a circle, the dress moved with him, the hem flowing gently with his movements. 

But the most amazing thing of all was what it did for his body. He was used to seeing a thin, vaguely boxy figure whenever he looked into the mirror, thanks to his being born male. But this… even with a flat chest, the dress gave him curves, and slimmed down slightly , as if to emphasize breasts that he didn’t have. For the first time in his life, Snails looked at his reflection in the mirror and smiled. He liked what he saw. The only question was, what did he see? Was he a boy in a dress, or something… more? He did not know.

After taking several selfies, Snails took the dress off, put his own clothes back on, and draped it across one arm as he went out to pay for it.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Snails was sitting at the mall food court, chomping into a cheeseburger. The dress was now sitting in his backpack, and though he had it zipped up as tightly as he could get it, he was still half afraid that someone would come over and take it from him.

This was not helped by the sudden sound of a very familiar voice that got closer and closer to his table with every passing moment. “I'm so glad you could come with me to go shopping today, Silver,” said Diamond Tiara, as she walked alongside her best friend, Silver Spoon.

Silver smiled. “Like I wouldn’t?” she asked, laughing slightly. “How much money did your dad give you?”

Diamond grinned like a hungry shark. “All the money on his credit card, of course,” she replied. “It's practically an unlimited budget!” Noticing Snails, she gasped and pointed a pale magenta finger at him. “Well well well, look at what we’ve got here!” she cried, a predatory grin still on her face. “Canterlot Middle’s stupidest, dumbest student!”

“After Snips, of course,” Silver pointed out, smirking herself. “What’s up, Snails? Where’s that walking tub of lard of yours?”

“H-Hey! You can’t talk about my friend like that!” Snails tried, attempting to swallow the sick feeling of fear that now mixed with the last of his burger and fries. 

“Yeah? And who’s going to stop us?” Diamond asked, approaching Snails and placing her finger under his chin. “There aren’t any teachers here, Snails. It’s just you, me, and Silver here.”

“Working on homework, are we?” Silver said, walking around to Snails’ backpack, which sat beside him on the floor. 

“Uh, yeah! Sure! Homework!” said Snails, attempting to grab his backpack. “I was just finishing!”

Silver was too fast for him, and snatched it from his hands at once. She frowned. “Hm… seems a little light for homework. Didn’t you bring any books?”

“He probably forgot to,” Diamond remarked. “You know how he is, he’s as dumb as a post!”

“Let’s check and see,” Silver said, and before Snails could do anything, (he was paralyzed with fear) the dress he’d bought was held in Silver’s hands, still with the price tag and everything.

Diamond started to laugh. “Well, that’s a surprise! I didn’t think you enjoyed the finer things in life, Snailsquirm!” 

“It’s not mine!” Snails tried. “It’s for my sister!”

“Oh, you mean the one that doesn’t exist?” Silver quipped, giving Snails a flat look. “I don’t think so. It’s too small for your mom to wear it, which means…”

“It’s probably yours,” Diamond finished. “Or at least, it _was_. We’re not going to let him keep it, are we Silver?”

Silver shook her head. “Nope. I think I’ll take it, actually. This shade of blue wouldn’t work on you, Dia.” She inspected a hand. “That’s one thing I like about having grey skin, it goes with absolutely anything!” She grinned malevolently at Snails. “Thanks for the gift, Squirmy. See you on Monday.” She and Diamond walked away, with Silver still carrying Snails’ dress. 

* * *

That had been the single most embarrassing moment of his life, but in the end, he was powerless to stop it. Diamond Tiara, after all, was Canterlot Middle’s premiere bully, and she had dirt on everyone, Snails included. As it was, he spent the rest of the weekend looking forlornly at the pictures he’d taken on his phone, savoring the all-too-brief time he’d spent in a dress.

At school the next Monday, Silver Spoon turned up wearing the very dress she’d taken from Snails, and just to rub salt in the wound, she and Diamond announced to everyone exactly where she’d gotten it from, and from whom it had been “given.” Within a week, every seventh grader at Canterlot Middle knew that Snails had bought a dress.

“What the heck, dude?” Snips had said, when he found out the story. “What are you doing liking all this girly stuff? What’s your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem, Snips,” Snails replied lamely. 

Snips shook his head and crossed his pale green arms. “Yeah, you do. We’re boys, Snails. We’re not supposed to like that stuff!” He slammed his locker door shut. “Want to come over to my house this weekend? I got the new Call of Duty game.”

Snails sighed and nodded reluctantly. “Yeah, okay. I’ll come over.”

* * *

Years went by. Snails never bought another dress after the middle school incident. Instead, he immersed himself in the world of male-ness. He went through a growth spurt, his voice deepened, and he gained a rather prominent adam’s apple, which bobbed up and down whenever he spoke. To his immense reluctance, he remained friends with Snips, always getting dragged into whatever scheme the green skinned boy managed to cook up.

High school was even more challenging than middle school had been. The girls he’d known had finished puberty, and they’d all blossomed into very young women now. Though he never admitted it to anyone, he often wished he could be like them. Male puberty had been hard on him however, and he knew that even if he _could_ go through female puberty, there was no chance that he'd ever look like anything other than a boy.

The toughest part of high school, though, was all the new people, and one girl in particular: Sunset Shimmer. A tall, imposing girl with soft yellow skin and moderate red hair streaked with very soft yellow, no one from Canterlot Middle knew who she was. All they did know was that she’d been at CHS for a couple years already, with grades so poor that she had to repeat ninth grade twice, meaning she was now 16. They also knew she had a very short temper, and managed to claw her way to the top of the student hierarchy by sheer force of personality, with a helping of intimidation and blackmail. Sunset Shimmer was not a girl who anyone wanted to get on the wrong side of, and she made sure everyone knew it.

“Listen up, you babies!” she’d shouted at lunch on the first day, pointing at the younger students. “I’m Sunset Shimmer, and I rule this place! Don’t even think about crossing me, or else!” She cut an imposing figure in her black leather jacket and orange skirt.

“Oh, shut up, Shimmer!” shouted someone. A girl with lavender skin and black hair streaked with deep purple stood up, wearing a blue jacket with the sleeves cut off, and a purple skirt. She had a very strong Manehattan accent. “You ain’t half the hot stuff you think you are!”

Snails looked on in amazement as the two girls got into an argument, only to be broken apart by Vice Principal Luna, who proceeded to put both of them in separate detentions.

But that wasn’t all that was new. A week after the lunchroom incident, a girl that no one had seen before, even Snips and Snails, walked into CHS for the first time. She was tall and slim, with pale grey skin, bright green eyes, and medium-length brown hair, which fell to her shoulders. She wore a blue sweater, a gold necklace with a pocket watch shaped charm, and black jeans with matching heels.

“Daaaaaaaamn,” said Snips, as the girl walked in through the front doors. “She’s _hoooooot_.” 

“Yeah,” Snails agreed, adjusting the straps of his backpack. “Super hot.”

“The only thing that bugs me,” said Snips, “is that her chest is flat. Where are her boobs? You can’t be a girl without boobs!”

“Maybe she just doesn’t have ‘em yet,” Snails replied, shrugging. They watched as Sunset approached her.

“Well well well, look at what we’ve got here… a new plaything,” said Sunset, looking the new arrival over.

The girl blinked and turned to look, finding Sunset Shimmer standing behind her. She frowned. “Excuse me? A plaything? I am no one’s plaything, madam! I am a girl, just as you are!”

Snips’ mouth fell open. “Whoa. She’s got guts.”

Sunset smirked. “Ooh, she speaks! Or should I say it? Or he? I can’t tell! After all, only boys have a chest as flat as yours.” She shook her head and laughed derisively. “And what an accent! Am I supposed to bow in the presence of someone clearly as ‘high class,’” she made finger quotes, “as you? As if. Sunset Shimmer bows to nobody, he-she.”  With that, she grabbed the collar of the new girl’s sweater in one hand and shoved her up against the locker, drawing her other hand back in a fist.

“Hey!” Gem exclaimed, as she struggled to get free. “Let me go! It’s only my first day!”

Sunset smirked. “Oh it is, huh? Well, let me give you your first lesson: my name is Sunset Shimmer, and I’m the one who really rules this dump. If you’re smart, you’ll stay on my good side.” Then Raven interrupted, and before long, things had calmed back down.

Snails watched the new girl walk down the hall, promising to see Raven later on, and secretly hoped she was in one of his classes.

* * *

Snails tried and tried to work up the courage to talk to the strange, posh new girl that came to CHS, but he never could. There was always an interruption, either by a teacher, one of the principals, the bell, or a stern glare from Raven. He did learn that her name was Gemini Shadow, and she had moved to Canterlot from the distant city of Trottingham. But the most important thing about her was, if the student records Sunset had snitched from Luna's office were to be believed, was that she was transgender.

After school one night, Snails went up to his room and pulled out his old, ancient laptop. He switched it on, pulled up Google, and did a search for what the word transgender meant: "Denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex." 

Snails gasped as softly as he dared. Everything made sense now. His extreme discomfort with having gone through puberty, his desire to wear a dress and look feminine, and of course, wanting to go through female puberty. "Is this... me?" he asked himself. He wasn't sure, but now he knew someone who might.

* * *

It was early morning at Canterlot High, and the school was largely empty save for Snails, who sat on the steps outside the front doors, shivering in the cold of late autumn. He had walked from his house to CHS especially early today, in the hopes of catching up with Gem and asking her the question that had been on his mind all night. 

But while he desperately wanted help, he was hesitant to approach her: after all, he'd helped Snips and Sunset put together that video intended to make a laughing stock out of her and that Twilight Sparkle girl, a campaign that ultimately failed and ended up with Sunset, Snips, and Snails transforming into demons, only to be blasted in the face with a magical rainbow. Though Gem had been quick to forgive Sunset for her crimes, she'd otherwise ignored Snips and Snails, and Snails had assumed that meant what he'd done was unforgivable.

The sound of shoes on concrete caused him to look up from his knees. Gemini was approaching, wearing a dark blue coat with silver buttons, and her usual black jeans and heels. Seeing Snails, her eyes widened in surprise. "You are... Snailsquirm, correct?" she asked. Her voice was as crisp as the air around her. At Snails' nod, she continued: "Then... may I ask what you're doing here so early?"

"I..." Snails tried. His heart raced, and part of him was all but ready to jump down the steps and take off running. But he knew he couldn't do that. "I wanted to... ask you something."

"Well, if it's to ask me to the winter prom, I'm afraid I'll have to decline," Gem said. "I'm already going with my girlfriend." She approached Snails and sat beside him. "But I don't think this is about a dance, is it?"

Snails gulped. "Nope... it's like this... When I was in middle school, I really wanted to wear a dress. So I saved up all my money, snuck out to the mall, and bought one." He took out his phone and scrolled through it to the pictures he'd taken on that morning so very long ago, and showed it to Gem. "But before I could take it home, Silver Spoon stole it. Then later, as all the girls in the class started growing up, I kept looking at them and wishing I could grow up like they were... but it didn't happen." He dared himself to keep going. "I know we don't talk much... and I know I did some things that hurt you... but you're the only girl at school I can talk to about this, everyone else would just start making fun of me." He looked right into Gem's eyes. "Do you think I could be a girl?"

There was a very long pause as Gem thought this question over. On one hand, Snails had seemed reluctant to go through with Sunset's crown-stealing scheme, but not reluctant enough to speak out against Sunset when it mattered. But on the other hand, so much of what he had just said reminded her of her own childhood... and being the forgiving sort, she knew she had to help him. 

So, gently, she reached out and took Snails' soft orange hand in her own light grey one, now softened by 3 months of hormone treatments. "I believe it is a possibility," she said at last. "Like you, I had an intense dislike for my body when I was growing up, and bought clothes for myself, though I lied and said they were presents for my cousin. When I dressed, I called myself Gemini. In fact, it was because of what I was doing that I ended up expelled from my old school, and how I ended up here." She gave Snails a small smile. "I think, perhaps, I would be willing to help you find yourself. It will not be easy, of course, but... I believe it will be worth it in the end." She kissed his cheek, and Snails blushed. "Come by my house after school, and we'll talk more there, okay?" Then she snapped her fingers. "Actually... wait by the statue at the end of the day. I'll have a car come and fetch you."

Snails blinked. "You can do that?"

Gem giggled, and smiled a little more. "There is very little I cannot do, Snailsquirm. I'll see you in class." Then she rose and climbed up the steps, walking through the front doors.

* * *

Snails was unable to keep himself from getting excited as the day went by. Not only did Gem not hate his guts for the whole formal incident, she’d even agreed to help him discover his true self! It was almost more than he could bear! When the other students asked him what he was so happy about, however, he told them it was because he’d got a new game yesterday and couldn’t wait to play it.

At the end of the day, Snips approached Snails at his locker. “Can I come over to your place and play that new game of yours?” he asked.

Snails jumped. “Uh… sorry, but uh… I’m gonna be too busy!” He ran off before Snips could catch up with him. As he stood next to the horse statue, a black [Aston Martin](http://bit.ly/2stTBjF) pulled up. A chauffeur got out and opened a back door for him. 

Inside the car sat Gem, who smiled and waved. “Come on in!”

With some trepidation, Snails climbed into the back of the car and buckled up. The seats were made of luxurious leather, and Snails found himself sinking into it as the chauffeur guided the car away from the school.

“I thought we’d go to the mall,” Gem said happily. “Don’t worry about money, it’s all on me.”

Snails’ eyes widened. “Uh… thanks, I think.”

Gem laughed. “It’s no trouble, Snails. Unless you have another name you wish to be called?”

Snails blinked. “Uh… not yet. Should I?”

Gem shook her head. “Not at all! It will come to you in time.” They headed through town, talking about this and that, and expanding on one another’s backgrounds. In time they arrived at Canterlot Mall, and Gem climbed out of the car, with Snails following along. The car drove off until it would be needed again.

“Let’s see… what was the store you bought that dress from?” Gem asked, as the two of them walked into the mall.

“Manehattan and Company,” replied Snails at once. “Are… are we going back there? It’s so expensive, and I don’t want to…” He was paused by the gentle application of a slim finger on his mouth.

Gem smiled warmly. “Don’t worry about cost, my dear. Just focus on looking as presentable as possible.” She guides Snails to an escalator and walks with him into the store. Though the selection of outfits had changed since Snips had last been inside, a lot of the same people still worked behind the counter, and a few recognized Gem, and gave her a warm welcome. 

Gem, meanwhile, headed over to the dress racks and began browsing, picking out various dresses and holding them up against Snails’ body. “Salmon pink… oh goodness no, it’s positively ghastly. Light green… it matches your hair, but it doesn’t really scream _you_ quite so much as… aha!” With a triumphant cry, she produced a replica of the very dress Snails had bought all those years ago, though it was much larger and was now decorated with patterns of sequins. Then, without prompting, she dragged Snips into the nearest empty fitting room. “There. Put this on, and see how you like it!” she said, handing the dress to Snails.

“Well… okay,” Snails said slowly, and he began to remove his clothes (Gem turned her back). Then he put on the dress and smiled, doing a twirl in the mirror. “It looks amazing… I _feel_ amazing!”

“And see how the sequins catch the light?” Gem pointed out. “Why, they make you glitter!”

Snails gasped. “Glitter… that’s it! Glitter… Glittershell! My name is Glittershell!”

“Glittershell it is,” Gem replied, smiling and clapping her hands excitedly. “You look gorgeous, darling!”

“I do?” Glitter’s eyes widened. “But how? I still look like a boy.”

Gem shook her head. “Not at all. By the time you and I are done here, you’ll look as feminine as I do. And that’s a promise.” She clapped once. “Now then! Time for more outfits!”

The two girls emerged an hour later with bags filled with clothes, from dresses to basic tops, jeans, and even a few skirts. Also in the bags was a basic makeup kit. Nothing fancy, but enough to feminize Glitter’s appearance. Gem had put it on for her, as she had more practice.

“Gem, I really can’t thank you enough for all this,” Glitter said, as she and Gem walked together toward the escalators again. “I just wish I knew how I’m going to hide all this from my parents…”

“Do you think they won’t accept you?” Gem asked, concerned. At Glitter’s nod, she continued. “Well, I’ve not told my own parents yet… I live on my own, you see. In the meantime though, I’d be happy to let you live with me for a while, at least until we _can_ tell your parents.” She smiled. “How does that sound?”

“It sounds great!” Glitter clapped her hands and did a little bounce.

Gem smiled. "Then that's just what we'll do."

* * *

The big moment had come. It was Monday, and Glittershell was going to present herself to her fellow students at CHS, one way or another. Her outfit that day was simple: the same dress she'd worn on that shopping trip with Gem, concealer and foundation on her face, some light eyeshadow, and a bit of lipstick. She'd even managed to shave her legs, and was borrowing a pair of Gem's shoes, since they were about the same size. Last of all was a bra, with breastforms inserted into each cup, since getting her own HRT regiment started would take a while.

As she came down the front stairs of Shadowfall that morning, Gem was waiting at the bottom, and clapped her hands. "Oh Glitter, you look beautiful!" she gushed.

Glitter blushed. "Thanks, Gem... I feel beautiful too. As light as a feather!"

Gem nodded, "As you ought to! You are a girl, and long last you are able to be who you truly are! Now come, let's show Canterlot High what you can do!" And off they went. They had a chauffeur drive them, since Gem and Glitter lived on different bus routes.

Once at school, they were almost immediately met by Snips, who was less than thrilled about his friend's change. “Snails, what’s gotten in to you?" he exclaimed, looking furious. "One minute you’re perfectly normal and the next you’re riding the bus straight into Tranny Town!” Snips said, glowering at Glitter.

“My name ... is Glittershell,” said Glitter, seemingly on the verge of tears.  “This is who and what I am, and that’s how it is.  I’m not a ‘tranny,’ and I definitely am NOT a ‘shim!'”

Gem nods, frowning. ”Leave her alone, Snips," she orders. "She's a girl, just like me. And she doesn't need you making her life miserable."

Snips knew he was outnumbered, especially since he figured at one word Raven and the rest would have bum-rushed him.  “Yeah, whatever,” he snorted, “you all go back in and play wit’ your dollies.  I hear there’s a new one out now. It’s half-man, half-woman, and it’s called G.I. Don’t Know.”  He turned and stomped off.

Glitter wrapped her arms around Gem and began to cry softly.  “Thank you for standing up for me. I couldn’t stand hanging out with him any longer… especially after what he did to you.”

Gem gives Glitter a hug, nuzzling her. "It's no trouble, my dear... we girls have to stick together." She smiles, "Luckily for you, there's a whole new bunch of friends waiting for you just inside."

“Good, I could use a bunch of them right about now,” Glitter said, as the two walked in through the front doors.

Watching the spectacle from her office window, Luna headed over to her desk to make an update to Glitter's files.


	5. Vision Quest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adagio goes shopping for glasses.

For as long as Adagio could remember, she had vision problems. In the ocean, they simply used sea-pony magic to help her see better, but that stopped when she and her sisters were banished to Earth. After that, she simply got along with squinting, but that was okay because feeding off negative energy all the time meant she didn't have to be on the lookout for predators.

All this changed when they invented contacts. Adagio was able to improve her vision by a significant degree, but of course, wearing contacts carried risks that glasses did not. But she kept wearing them, right up until the day Gem confronted her about it.

It was a warm spring day in Canterlot, and the eight friends were sitting together at their usual table at Sugarcube Corner, talking about whatever came into their heads.

“For the last time, Sonata,” Aria said, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers, “it’s just a taco-flavored seasoning. They do not cram whole tacos into taco-flavored Slim Jims!”

“They do so!” Sonata retorted. “Where else would they get the taco flavor from? Huh? Huh? Huh??”

Twilight and Emerald looked over at Sunset, curious expressions on their faces.

“Don’t even bother,” Sunset said wearily. “They argue about this all the time.”

"Adagio, are you alright?" Gem asks, placing a hand on the ex-siren's shoulder and looking concerned.

"Not really," Adagio admits. "I've been getting these terrible headaches lately... I can't seem to make them go away, and I've tried every cure known to humans, ponies, and sea ponies!"

"Finding that seaweed was pretty difficult," Sonata comments, breaking away from the argument briefly. "But at least we have those new mermaid powers now! That helped!"

“It still didn’t work, Dagi?” Aria asked, looking at her siren sister worriedly. “Maybe you should see a doctor.”

“If we had the money to do that, I would have done that a long time ago!” Adagio snapped. She cradled her head in her hands. “I’m sorry… I just want this to stop.”

“It’s not because of those contacts, is it?” Gem queried.

“No, I stopped wearing them when you showed me all of the nasty infections I could get,” Adagio said softly. “Only problem is, once I stopped, the headaches came and have gotten worse.”

"Then there's only one thing for it," Gem says. "It's time you got glasses once and for all!" She pulls out a pair of plain black ones with circular frames. "I wear these for reading, mostly. And Twilight and Emerald wear them too, so you won't be alone!"

"I just got a pair myself," Sunset adds, pulling out her [own set](http://orig05.deviantart.net/09dd/f/2016/081/e/4/sunsketchshimmer_by_twilite_sparkleplz-d9w1pxy.jpg). "What do you girls think?"

The girls oohed over Sunset’s new glasses. “Those look great, Sunny!” Sonata said, smiling.

“I guess I never considered glasses because, well, evil world-ruling siren can’t be seen with a dorky pair of glasses, could she?” Adagio said with a chuckle. “But, it still doesn’t change the fact I need the money for the eye exam and glasses, which I don’t have.”

"Ah, but if I buy them for you," Gem said, grinning, "All your problems will be solved! Well, these ones, at any rate."

Adagio blinked. "You'd do that for me?" she said in amazement.

Gem smiled and gave Adagio a hug, "What are little sisters for?"

“Gem, a-are you sure?” Adagio asked, her voice wavering. “’Cuz I don’t want to seem like I’m always mooching off of you for stuff. You’ve done so much for us already, and truth be told, I feel a bit guilty about it.”

"Don't," Gem says gently, placing a finger on Adagio's mouth. "I'd give every penny in my fortune away to help those without my... advantages. You're all family to me, I can't not help you!"

“You really are a good friend, Gem,” Adagio said, blinking away tears. She wrapped Gem in a tight hug. “So, I guess now I need to find a doctor.”

"We could just go to that optometrist at the Rich-Mart," Sunset suggests. "He did a pretty good job with me, he can do the same for you too!"

“Sounds good to me,” Adagio said. “Let’s set the appointment.”

* * *

“The doctor will be with you in a moment,” the receptionist said to Adagio. “In the meantime, feel freer to look around.”

“Thank you,” Adagio said. Sunset, Gem, and Adagio walked through the rows of frames, looking at particular styles. Adagio put a set on and turned to the girls. “How about [these](https://derpicdn.net/img/2015/1/15/807237/large.png)?” she said, striking her best cute pose.

"You look adorable!" Gem gushes, hugging her friend and grinning. "The frames match your hoodie perfectly!"

“Okay, we’ll keep these in mind,” Adagio said, taking a quick glance at the price tag. She blanched. “Gem, are you sure about this?"

"Of course I am," Gem says, squeezing Adagio's hand, "But if you like, we can keep looking." She moves around the room and picks up another set. "How are [these](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/16/60/ef/1660ef37a80c4d31f249aecdd7824b7b.jpg)?"

“Those are nice, too,” Adagio said trying them on. “Okay, so it’s between these and the other set.”

“Miss Dazzle?” the receptionist said. ‘The doctor is ready for you.”

Adagio took a deep breath. “Okay, here goes...” she said, walking to the exam area.

The man in question has plain blonde hair, blue eyes, and a calm smile. He smiles at Adagio. "Don't be afraid, Miss Dazzle, everything is going to be alright." He bustles around with some equipment, then turns on a light, illuminating an eye chart. "Look out your right eye and read the third row of letters, please."

Adagio placed a hand over her left eye. “T ...O …. Z?” she said.

“Excellent!” said the doctor. “Now, what letter is this?” he said, pointing to the third letter on line 8.

“Umm … P?” Adagio guessed.

The doctor made a quick note. He pointed to the fourth letter on line 5. “How about this one?” he asked.

“F,” Adagio replied.

“Okay, let’s try it with the left eye now,” the doctor said.

"K... G... W... M..." Adagio read, as the doctor pointed to a particular letter in each line. After the reading tests, there were other tests to measure her depth perception and a test relating to how focused or unfocused a picture of a hot air balloon was. Her pupils were dilated, and she was given a pair of sunglasses to wear for a while until her vision adjusted.

"Well, Miss Dazzle, you will need glasses. While I can't guarantee they'll correct your vision completely, they will improve it. Do you have any particular frames picked out?" the doctor asks. 

“I’m going back and forth between two, but…” She picked up the smaller square-frame glasses. “I like these. I’ll take these, please.”

The lady outside the exam room rings her up, and Gem pays for the frames without a second thought, as promised.

* * *

The next morning, the Dazzlings and Sunset are waiting for the bus to take them to school. Adagio is wearing her new glasses, looking uncharacteristically concerned.

"Alright Dagi, what's bugging you?" Aria asks. "You've never been this quiet before!"

“I’m just nervous,” Adagio said. “Maybe part of me is worried about getting picked on for wearing glasses.”

"Dagi, we've seen and done a lot worse than that," Aria reminds her. "Besides, Sunset here got over her bullying phase when she turned into a raging she-demon. No offense."

"None taken," said Sunset automatically.

"And if anyone does make fun of you," Sonata adds, "We've got enough girl power between the seven of us to make them stop!"

Adagio sighs. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. And, on the bright side, my headaches have gone away.” She shoots a glance to Aria and Sonata. “Okay, not all of them...”

“Heeeeeeeeeey!” Aria and Sonata say in unison.

The bus rolls up at that moment and the four girls step on, with Adagio coming in behind Sunset, Sonata, and Aria. She pauses for a moment in the aisle to ask "So Longhaul, like my new look?" Gem and Sonata are both giving her the thumbs up.

Longhaul looks at Adagio and smiles. “Adagio, if I can say this without sounding creepy, I honestly could not believe it was possible for you to become any prettier than you were, and today I have been proven wrong. You look absolutely stunning.”

Adagio grins and hugs him tight. "Aw, thank you! You're the best!" She takes her seat and the bus rolls on, and all the students who come aboard next give Adagio similar compliments.

* * *

Later that day, in the lunchroom, Adagio was discussing her experiences during the day. “And everyone’s been so nice! The teachers are impressed, and it’s mostly because I can finally see the whiteboard clearly!”

"That should improve your grade point average," Twilight says happily. "You might even graduate with honors!"

"Careful Sparks, let's not overwhelm her yet," Emerald says, beeping Twilight's nose with her finger.

“Good!” Sonata chirps happily. “Now, she can solve the argument over whether or not there’s real tacos in taco-flavor Slim Jims!”

Aria facepalmed. “Oh, not again….” Everyone else laughed.


	6. Trapped In Equestria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to Equestria goes awry when Sunset and Gem are trapped there, and Gem faces the possibility of having to live as a pony full time.

It was a lovely fall day in Ponyville, and Gem and Sunset were headed back to Earth after spending the weekend in Equestria. Princess Twilight was with them to see them off. 

"Thanks for putting us up for the weekend, Twilight," Sunset was saying. "Gem and I really appreciate it." 

"You're both welcome!" Twilight said with a smile. "I know Starlight was especially glad to make new friends, even if one of them is a creature from another dimension." 

Gem smirked and poked Twilight's nose with her hoof. "You should talk! After all, who was it that randomly appeared on the front lawn looking like she'd only been human for about ten minutes, hmmm?" 

Twilight stuck her tongue out. “That’s a lie! It was more like fifteen minutes, thank you very much!” 

Sunset giggled, watching her friends. “Gem, we really need to go, we have things to do before Monday morning rolls around.” 

"Indeed," Gem sighs. "I have an English essay to finish... six pages on Chaucer and Shakespeare." 

Twilight smiles. "I love research projects! I'll see you two later, write me a note in the book if you need any help!" 

"Will do," Gem says, giving Twilight a hug. "See you next time!" She turns to step through the mirror, only to go crashing right into the glass. She falls over with a surprised whinny. 

Sunset rushes to the mirror and taps on it. Her hoof strikes solid glass. “Twilight? I thought we stabilized the portal so it wouldn’t close. Why isn’t the portal working?” 

Twilight went over and looked over the mirror. “I-- I don’t know. But one thing is clear, you two aren’t going to be able to get home until we can open it back up again.” 

“You mean, we can’t leave Equestria at all?” Sunset said, tending to Gem, who was rubbing her nose. 

"I'm afraid not," Twilight says sadly. "Sorry girls... I wish there was another way for you to get home, but I don't think there is." 

Gem looks unhappily at Sunset. "What are we going to tell Mrs. Harshwhinny? There's no way she'll believe that we couldn't turn in that report because we were stuck here, even with photographic evidence!" 

“Gem,” Sunset said calmly, “I think Mrs. Harshwhinny is the least of our worries right now.” She turned to Twilight. “What we need to be focused on is, are we ever going to be able to get home? Can this portal be fixed? Twilight, best-case and worst-case, what’s going to happen with us?” 

Twilight sighed. “Best case, we find a spell that rejuvenates the portal and makes it truly permanent. Worst case ... you two are the newest residents of Ponyville.” 

Gem sighed. "We need help... who can we turn to for magic advice?" 

Twilight thought for a moment. "How about I go get Starlight, and the four of us start brainstorming in the library?" 

“Good idea,” Sunset said. “We’ll need every book you have on arcane magic as well.” She paused, clearly nervous. “And, if we can’t find an answer there, we’ll--” She gulped. “We’ll have to ask Princess Celestia.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Raven comes home from her latest gig, still dressed in her magician's outfit. "Gem? I'm home!" she calls out. There is no reply. Raven blinks. "What the... Gem? Are you here?" she calls out, wandering around the apartment. 

Adagio comes out with her hair in curlers. "What's going on?" 

"Have Gem and Sunset come back from Ponyland yet?" Raven asks. 

Adagio thinks. "You know, I'm not sure... let's go check the portal." 

Raven and Adagio go to the mirror that serves as the portal and tap on the glass. It felt solid. “Uh oh,” Adagio said, worried. 

“What do you mean, ‘uh oh’?” Raven demanded. 

“I mean, if that’s not working, there’s a good chance that Gem and Sunset may not be able to get back here at all.” She saw Raven’s expression and put a hand on Raven’s shoulder. “Look, it’s probably as simple as refreshing the spell, they should be back in no time.” 

Raven glanced at the mirror. “I hope so.”

* * *

Back in Equestria, Sunset, Gem, Twilight, and Starlight were busily researching every arcane spell book the library contained. 

Starlight sighs. "Not looking good so far, Twilight... I don't know what kind of spell is on your portal, but whatever it is, it's probably broken." She looks at Gem. "What spell did you all use when you were stabilising it from your end?" 

Gem shrugs. "We just rebuilt that device of Twilight's... that is, my world's Twilight, and reversed the polarity of the magic flow... but I don't think that can help us now." 

Starlight leafs through the magic books at lightning speed. “Let’s see ... Reflectum Novus, Egress Portalis ... I wonder ... Twilight, do you think the original portal spell was a compound spell?” 

Twilight pulled a dusty book over with her magic. “Starswirl created the original portal, so if there’s any good answer to that, it might be in his research notes. Let’s check.” She flipped through page after page of entries. “Augh! Nothing here, either!” She thumped her head on the table. 

“I don’t think we have any other option. Should we ask Princess Celestia about the two spells I mentioned, and see what she has to say about it?” Starlight asked. 

“I hope we can reach her,” Twilight said sadly. “She’s judging a chocolate cake competition in Germaney this week.” She called out, “SPIKE!!” 

Spike came running into the room. “That was the serious yell. Whats up?” “Spike...” Twilight said grimly, “take a letter.” 

Spike's jaw drops. "Whoa... you haven't said that in years! This -must- be serious!" Gem summons a quill and some parchment for him then begins to write as Twilight dictates: "Dear Princess Celestia... I'm sorry to interrupt your time in Germaney, but an urgent matter has arisen. Two friends of mine, Sunset Shimmer and Gemini Shadow, have found themselves unable to cross back into the human world despite previously casting a spell that stabilised the mirror portal from their end and ours. Starlight thinks that Reflectum Novus and Egress Portalis may have been used to put the portal together, but a quick check of Starswirl's notes turned up nothing. Any advice you can offer us would be greatly appreciated. Your faithful (former) student, Twilight Sparkle." 

Spike sent off the letter and looked sadly at the four mares, then smiled. "Look at it this way, you two! You get to stay with us a little longer!" 

Gem smiled back and ruffled his scales. "That is one good thing to come out of this, yes... have you heard from Princess Ember recently, Spike?" 

“She writes when she can,” Spike explained, “she’s been busy ruling the Dragon Empire. She has an official visit scheduled here in a few months, so I’ll get to see her again.” 

Sunset smiled. “That’s great news! I’ll bet you’ll be happy to see her again, too.” Spike nodded, blushing. 

Gem notes the blush and giggles. "Oh my, I do believe he might have a crush on her!" She claps her hooves excitedly. "Dragon courtship! Imagine that! I'd offer dating advice, but I don't think human customs would translate very well." 

“Well, I do like being with her,” Spike said, still blushing, “but we both agreed to remain as friends, and if it gets serious, then we’ll go from there.” 

"Fair enough," Gem concedes, yawning widely. "Anyway... Pardon me everypony, but I think I'm going to go get some rest... it's been a very long day." She meanders up the stairs and flops onto her bed, staring at her face in the window nearby. 

She claps her hooves, feels her muzzle, and flicks her tail. "I hope we can get back home soon... I don't know if I'm cut out to live the rest of my life as a pony... I'm too much of a human..." she says to herself, drifting off to sleep. 

Sunset enters the room after Gem was sound asleep. She looks at the sleeping pony. “Now you know how I felt on my first night in your world.” She climbed into her bed. “Goodnight, Gem. We’ll try again in the morning.” She, too was soon asleep.

* * *

In Gem's dream, she's walking through the halls of CHS, only to stumble and fall on her face. Rising, she's shocked to find that she's turned into a pony, and the school is rapidly changing around her. "What... what in Equestria?!" she exclaims, running around in a panic. "Somepony help! Something is terribly wrong!" She zooms through the halls, searching for her friends. 

Princess Twilight appears in front of her. “Nothing is wrong, Gemini,” she says in a flat tone. “You’ve just become one of us now ... forever and ever.” The classroom doors open up and every student has transformed into a pony. Their eyes are glazed over, and their movements seem controlled as they advance on Gem. 

"But... but i'm not!" Gem insists, as untold numbers of hooves begin crawling all over her, "I'm a human! I'm not like you! Help! Please! AAAAAAAAAAAH!" 

She sits up in bed quickly, looking around. It's dark, except for the moon shining through the castle windows. Slowly and carefully, Gem climbs out of bed and heads to the nearest balcony, too frightened to go back to sleep. 

The gentle flapping of wings signaled the arrival of Princess Luna. She landed on the balcony near Gem. “We sensed a nightmare here, but we could not enter your dream. You are the visitor from the human world, are you not?” 

Gem nods, "That's me... Gem, the human turned pony..." She sighs. "It was terrible..." She describes the contents of her nightmare, pacing all the while. "But what does it all mean? Why does the thought of being turned into a pony for good scare me so much? Half my friends come from this world, after all! What's wrong with me?" 

“There is nothing wrong with you,” Luna said. “It is quite normal to be afraid of a new experience, especially when thrust into it without being properly prepared. Not only are you in a strange world, you are no longer in a form you have grown accustomed to.” 

"I guess that's true," Gem admits. "When I started transition all those years ago, the changes were drastic, but it was still a body I knew... this is different." She looks back to the castle's interior, specifically Sunset's general direction. "I used to say that because she spent so much time in our... my world, Sunset was more human than pony... but maybe it wasn't her who changed." She looks back at herself again. "I suppose there are worse places to end up... if I am stuck here, at least I'm with people... ponies... I know. More or less." 

“There is no certainty that you will be, as you put it, ‘stuck here.’ I have confidence in Twilight Sparkle’s abilities to find a way to return you to your home. And, if it turns out that you are fated to become a new permanent resident, I know ponies that will bend over backwards to assist you in acclimating to your new home.” Luna smiled. “It is true that your situation looks dire, but instead of mourning the way you lived before, celebrate the way you will live now.” 

Gem smiles back and gives Luna a hug. "Thank you... I see now why Orion speaks so highly of you." 

Luna blushed. "We try."

* * *

Gem's dreams are less troubled for the rest of the night, but she still comes down the next morning yawning widely. Spike waves. "Morning, Gem! I got breakfast on the table for you! Oatmeal with hay-bacon strips!" 

Sunset sits at the table, munching on a hay bacon strip. She grins. “You’ll get used to it.” 

Gem grins back as she starts eating. "How does it feel to be you again?" She asks, after swallowing. "Like coming home after a long visit?" 

“I still had to adapt to having hooves again, and walking on all fours,” Sunset said in between bites of oatmeal. “But, I settled in fairly quickly, almost as if I’d never left.” 

Gem chuckles. "I always knew some part of you was still a pony... I was a fool to try and deny it." She touches Sunset's hoof with hers. "For that, I sincerely apologize." 

“As far as I’m concerned, you have nothing to apologize for.” Sunset smiled. “And I promise to not deny your human side as long as you’re here.” 

Twilight came running into the kitchen. “Girls! Great news! We got an answer from Princess Celestia, and we think we can fix the portal!” 

Gem's jaw drops. "You're kidding! What did she say?" 

“Come on, I’ll explain when we get there!” Twilight said excitedly. The three ran down the hallway. 

Arriving at the mirror, Twilight retrieved a scroll. “This is Princess Celestia’s reply. It arrived early this morning, and the best part is, it contains not only Starswirl’s original spell, but a way to make sure it stays open permanently!” 

"What do we have to do to cast it?" Sunset asks, already lighting her horn. Twilight explains the basic mechanics of the spell, then says (once Starlight has joined them) "Okay everypony, lower your horns! At the count of three, we'll each cast the spell! 1... 2... 3!" 

Four beams of light jet from the four horns: Magenta for Twilight, teal for Sunset, turquoise for Starlight, and dark blue for Gem. The mirror bursts into life, fully charged and rippling like water in a pond. 

Sunset tentatively reaches a hoof out and touches the surface of the mirror. It ripples around her hoof. “I think it worked,” she said. 

"Thank goodness," Gem says, breathing a sigh of relief.

* * *

Gem and Sunset appear on the other side, restored to human form at last. Gem wiggles her fingers and rubs her hands together happily. "I'm me again! Thank goodness!" 

Raven and Adagio, who had fallen asleep in the room, wake up and brighten immediately upon seeing Gem and Sunset. “You’re home! Thank goodness!” Raven wraps Gem in a tight hug, while Adagio does the same to Sunset. 

Gem holds Raven's hand, "I was afraid I'd never see you again... I'm glad I'm home." 

Adagio smiles at Sunset. "So, tell me dear girl, what was it like being your old self again? Do you think you could've stayed there for good?" 

“I don’t know,” Sunset said. “I would have done what I had to, but I may not have enjoyed it.” 

"In the end, our place remains here," Gem agrees. "Come on Sunset, let's go finish that report!" She and Sunset head off toward Gem's room. 


	7. Pumpkin Pandemonium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of short vignettes depicting the girls and pumpkin spice lattes.

Gem had moved to Canterlot from her native Trottingham only two months ago, and she was still adjusting to life in her new home city. Most of it had been an easy adjustment. She enjoyed the peace and quiet that the suburban area of town (known as Outer Canterlot by locals) provided her, especially compared to the hustle and bustle of Trottingham. She did miss the Underground, but lack of a tube system was a small price to pay for what otherwise was a wonderful town for a young girl to be growing up in. 

One thing she hadn’t quite understood however was the city’s obsession with a particular flavor of coffee. As soon as the calendar switched from September 30th to October 1st, every coffee shop in each of the city’s 20 districts was filled with thirsty patrons clamoring for a cup of the same odd drink. It contained steamed milk, vanilla syrup and espresso, and was accentuated with pumpkin, nutmeg, and cinnamon to give it a taste that perfectly accompanied cool evenings or mornings. It was called a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and Gem had never had one in her entire life. 

“What do you _mean_ you’ve never had pumpkin spice before?!” Raven spluttered, as she, Gem, and Sunset sat together at their usual cafe booth. “It’s only the best drink of the season!” 

Gem shrugged. “It just wasn’t as popular in Trottingham as it is here,” she said. “You must understand, I grew up in a city where the most popular beverage was tea, not coffee. That’s not to say we didn’t have any coffee shops, of course we did, but it wasn’t...” She chose her words carefully, “It wasn’t the life-giving liquid that so many of you Canterlotians like to think it is.” 

Raven smirked. “I’m from Manehattan, remember? And it was just as popular there as it is here! In fact...” She smirked again. “I think you’re gonna try it today, Gem.” 

“I had it back in Equestria,” Sunset said. “It wasn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, to be honest.” 

Raven rolled her eyes. “Oh please, Sunny. You’re a pony, you haven’t lived until you’ve had it human style!” She shot up and headed to the line in front of the counter. “We’re in luck, there’s not too many people ahead of us. Let’s do this!” 

Mr. and Mrs. Cake worked as hard as they could preparing drinks and other items. The smells of fall spices filled the air as they worked, but even Gem could tell they were showing signs of strain. Mrs. Cake’s smile seemed to grow more forced with every person she served. When they got to Raven, Gem, and Sunset, she said with gritted teeth “What can I get you three ladies?” 

“We’ll have three medium PSLs, please,” Raven said, fishing out a few dollars and handing them over. 

“Will there be anything else?” Mrs. Cake asked again. 

Gem shook her head quickly. “No, not at all ma’am, thank you,” she said, before Raven could speak. As the trio moved out of line to the waiting area for their drinks, Gem glared at her girlfriend. “Raven, this is quite possibly the most ridiculous idea you’ve ever had,” she hissed, pointing a grey finger at an increasingly-harried Mr. Cake. “Look at the poor man! I wouldn’t be surprised if they wind up running out before the day is done, and never restock again!” 

Raven tipped her hand, “Oh please Gem, they’ve gotta restock! Everyone knows that this and Christmas is when Sugarcube Corner does its best business, they’d be stupid not to get more! Besides, you spurn it now, but just _wait_ until you try it!” 

Mr. Cake all but slammed down their drinks at exactly that moment. “Three medium PSLs for Gemini, Raven, and Sunset,” he said, in a tight voice that exactly matched his wife’s. 

Gem gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you, sir,” she said politely. “We’re sorry to trouble you. _Aren’t we, Raven?_ ” She glared meaningfully at her girlfriend.

“Yeah, yeah,” Raven mumbled, and the three took their respective cups, heading back to their booth. There was a pause as neither of the two immigrants immediately took sips. Raven stared. “Are you gonna drink that or what?!” 

“We’re waiting for them to cool down,” Sunset explained. “It’s slower without magic, you know.” After a few minutes, Sunset determined the drinks were cool enough and took her first sip. “Hm...” She took another sip. “Hmm.... not too bad...” 

Raven nodded approvingly. “Good start! Your turn, Gem!” 

Gem nodded and took a gentle sip of hers, extending her pinkie as she had been taught. She wrinkled her nose. “Too sweet,” she decided. 

Raven gaped at her as if she had grown two heads. “That’s the entire POINT!” she half-shouted. “It’s supposed to be sweet and spicy all at the same time, like fall mornings and afternoons and evenings, especially in October!” 

Gem shook her head. “Sorry, Raven, but it’s just not my kind of drink.” 

Raven sighed theatrically and snatched the cup from Gem’s hand. “Fine, I’ll drink it.” 

* * *

The three girls headed home about ten minutes later with Raven clutching at her stomach, her face's lavender complexion was now tinted green. “Too... much... pumpkin... spice...” she groaned. 

“You should’ve waited before drinking mine,” Gem admonished. “Starting in on it after gulping down yours was only going to lead to problems!” 

“Yes Mom,” Raven snarked. 

Gem shook her head and sighed. “There’s nothing else for it, you’re staying at my house for the night until you feel better. I’ll have Cassius prepare saltines and lemon-lime soda for you, that always helped my stomach when I was little. And no, we will not have sexy-times!” 

“Awwwwwww,” Raven mock-pouted, before diving into the nearest bush and vomiting loudly. 

Gem sighed. “What _ever_ am I going to do with that girl...” she muttered to Sunset, who laughed.

* * *

The next year Pumpkin Spice was available, Raven led the girls (now including the Dazzlings) to a different coffee shop, per Gem’s advice. “I just don’t want the Cakes to come after us wielding large containers of hot coffee!” Gem had said, and so they went to a place called Sirenbucks. 

Raven stared thoughtfully at the green and white logo of the place. “Is that you, Dagi?” she asked, pointing to the stylized mermaid. 

Adagio nodded. “What can I say? I was bored and decided to hypnotize someone into making me a better cup of coffee than what I was having in hotels at that time, and... well, I hadn’t expected it to become a national chain, but here we are.” 

Raven began to rub her hands together gleefully as her smile became a devious- looking smirk. “I wonder if that means discounts...” 

“Doubtful,” Adagio said, “But you never know.” She led the girls into the shop and strode up to the counter, putting on her best sexy smile and walk as she did so. 

“What can I get ya?” asked the barista, in a dazed voice. 

Aria and Gem looked on in mild amazement. “I can’t believe it... we don’t even have our powers anymore, and she can still ensnare people,” Aria said. 

Gem nodded. “Amazing what the right application of one’s natural curves and sex appeal can do to a person,” she agreed. They wound up getting six PSLs for the cost of three. 

When they regrouped at a table by the window, Gem leveled a teasing glance at Adagio. “I suppose that, given your long life, you had a hand in creating this?” 

Adagio shook her head. “We didn’t even know what pumpkins were until we came here. And even then, the search for energy took up so much of our time that whenever we did drink coffee, it was usually black. Except for Sonata, she likes lots of cream and sugar in hers.” She lifted her cup to her lips and sipped, then nodded approvingly. “Perfect!” 

Sonata sipped hers and gasped. “You should totally put this in a taco, you guys!” The other five girls turned to stare at her. “What?” 

“This is a liquid, taco head,” Aria reminded her. “You can’t put liquids in tacos unless it’s a sauce, and who would want pumpkin spice tacos anyway?” 

Sonata sighed. “Fiiiine...” 

Aria rolled her eyes then sipped at hers, “It’s... well, not bad,” she said, shrugging. “I prefer energy drinks anyway.” 

“And how about yours, Gem?” Sunset asked. “Is it better this time?” 

Gem nodded. “I believe the Cakes’ exhaustion influenced the taste last time,” she said. “This is much improved.” 

* * *

Twilight sat in her basement laboratory at home, surrounded by test tubes and beakers full of liquid. Emerald came down the steps to join her and pulled up a chair. “Whatcha up to, Sparks?” 

Twilight looked up and smiled, “I’m trying to create the perfect pumpkin spice latte! There are so many variables involved in buying one from the major coffee conglomerates out there, from ingredient sourcing and quality to the emotions of the barista making the drink. But if I can make something that is scientifically perfect, it will solve all our problems!” 

“Which explains why you’re down here instead of in the kitchen,” Emerald realized, and she laughed. “What can I do to help?” 

Twilight tossed her a lab coat and some safety glasses. “You can help me prepare the ingredients of course! Everything has to be prepared according to precise metric measurements.” She gestured to a chalkboard in the far corner of the room, covered in complicated formulae. “Ready?” 

“Ready!” Emerald announced, and the two set to work. 

* * *

Two hours later, they ascended the stairs from the lab, covered in soot and grime and smelling strongly of burned pumpkins. Both girls had their hair standing on end, and one of the lenses in Twilight’s glasses was cracked. She sighed. “I should’ve known not to apply the pumpkin spice until the espresso was finished,” she muttered. 

Emerald smiled and squeezed Twilight’s hand with hers. “Don’t feel too badly, love. You tried your best. But I think we should leave the PSLs to the professionals, don’t you?” 

“Agreed,” Twilight said, smiling back. “Shower?”

Emerald nodded. “Shower. Let’s rock.”


	8. The Eight Little Mermaids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem finds herself transformed into a mermaid when wearing the pendant she got for her birthday.

Gem entered the cavernous master bathroom, a towel in one hand and a small bucket containing an assortment of hair and skin care products in the other. She wore a navy blue bathrobe, which she untied the belt of and hung from a hook on the door, allowing her to see herself, completely naked, in all her feminine glory. Around her neck was the siren necklace that the Dazzlings had given her a few months ago, for her birthday. Smiling, she reached over and turned on the water, letting the tub fill. With a few taps on her phone, music rang out from the Bluetooth speakers installed in the room. 

She slipped gently into the water, closing her eyes as she did, singing along to the lyrics of the [song](https://youtu.be/r3kQlzOi27M): “Can you hear them? They talk about us. Telling lies. Well, that's no surprise. Can you see them? See right through them, they have no shield, no secrets to reveal. It doesn't matter what they say, in the jealous games people play, our lips are sealed..” As she sang, the gem glowed, expelling a green mist. The mist flowed around her, transforming her so subtly that she didn’t even notice until she opened her eyes. 

Where once was a pair of very human legs, there was now a grey, scaly fish’s tail, starting below her belly button. Her ears had become ear-fins, and her fingers were now webbed. Additionally, grey scales the same color as her skin now came up as far as her neck, covering her chest and back. Widening her eyes in panic, she shouted to her phone “Siri! Call Adagio Dazzle!” 

“Calling Adagio Dazzle,” said her phone, and after a few rings, Adagio’s voice came over the line: “Hey Gem, what’s up? You don’t usually call in the evenings like this.” 

“It’s sort of an emergency,” Gem explained from in the tub. (Her phone was resting on the vanity.) “I was wearing that gem you gave me for my birthday, and was taking my bath when I just sort of.. changed. I think I’m a mermaid now.” 

“A mermaid, huh? Hang tight, I’ll get the girls and we’ll be right over,” Adagio said. “See you!” Gem shouted back. Adagio hung up, and the music started up again. 

* * *

 A half hour later, the Dazzlings and Twilight were gathered around Gem’s bathtub. Twilight was even wearing her lab coat. Bending down, she held one of Gem’s hands in hers, running her fingers along the newly-developed webbing. “Fascinating...” she said. “It’s bonded to you so completely, it’s like it was always here!” 

Sonata scratched her head, puzzled. “How come this never happened to us?” she asked.  

“Cause that stupid wizard blocked it, remember?” Aria said, sounding annoyed as ever.

“Oh yeah...” Sonata replied, gazing into the distance. “Well, how come she can do it and we can’t?” 

“She doesn’t carry the restriction that you three do,” Twilight said, straightening up. “She was born in this world, remember, and only came into contact with Equestrian magic through a third party. Since the jewel you gave her was based on the ones you once wore, it shares the same power but without any of Starswirl’s safeguards.” 

Adagio stared at her for a long moment. “How’d you know all that?”

Twilight shrugged. “Background reading.” 

“What _I_ want to know is,” Gem said, breaking into the conversation, “can this be stopped?” 

“Probably,” said Twilight. “Either removing the pendant or climbing out of the water should do the trick.” 

Gem nodded, “I’m in no hurry,” she admitted, flexing her new tail. “Anyway... thanks for coming out, you four.” 

Adagio smiled and gave Gem a kiss on the cheek. “It’s no trouble, little sis. Enjoy your taste of life as a siren!” The four left after that, leaving Gem to her music and her new form. 

* * *

That night, the Dazzlings and Sunset were chowing down on some take-out Chinese, discussing what they’d seen earlier. 

“So when you saw her, she had a fish tail, scales, fins, the whole works?” Sunset asked. 

Adagio nodded in confirmation. “It was more or less what we looked like back in Equestria, only with an equine upper half rather than a human one.” To demonstrate, she took out her phone and tapped her way to a picture taken prior to their banishment, showing the three of them sitting on some rocks with some waves in the background. 

Sunset stared at the picture, amazed. “So that’s what you three used to look like...” 

Adagio nodded. “Hooves, scales, fins, and everything... when we first came here, we tried everything we could to find our way back home, but it was all for naught. Now, of course, we’re much happier as humans, but...” She sighed. “I don’t know why, but seeing Gem in an approximation of our old forms... if we could at least take them again, without having to return to Equestria...” 

Sunset placed a hand on Adagio’s. “Let me write to Twilight,” she said, “And I’ll see what she can do.” A thought occurred to her. “How’d you even end up with the gems, anyway?” 

“Oooh, I remember! I remember!” Sonata squealed. “It was just like it happened yesterday...” 

* * *

The three merpony sisters known as Adagio, Aria, and Sonata were terribly bored. They sat together on a sandbar beneath the ocean waves, trying to keep themselves occupied. Adagio was filing her hooves, Aria was tossing a ball of seaweed against a section of reef with one hoof and catching it with another, while Sonata stared up at the water above her, watching it ripple. 

“So girls, what are we going to do today?” asked Adagio, in the high-pitched system of clicks all merponies used. 

“No idea,” said Aria helpfully. “We tried chatting up the boys at school, and they ignored us. We tried singing, and we can barely carry a note. We can’t even catch fish, for crying out loud!” 

“Maybe we could go up on land?” Sonata suggested. “Transform into land ponies and explore?” 

“Did that,” Aria replied dully. “We got stuff thrown at us, remember? Thanks to you shifting back, ‘cause you’re the worst?” 

“I’m not the worst!” Sonata said indignantly. “ _You’re_ the worst!”

“Shut up, idiots!” Adagio said, rolling her eyes. “I’m _trying_ to think of a plan!” 

“Why? Your plans are never any good,” Aria shot back, throwing her ball with a little more force than she meant to. Instead of hitting a reef, it hit a wooden chest that some scavengers had surfaced from a recent shipwreck a few weeks earlier. The lid creaked open, and bubbles flew out. 

Distracted, Sonata swam over to investigate. “Whoa... look at these!” She held up three red pendants in her hooves. 

“Interesting,” said Adagio, as she and Aria came over to get a closer look. They each took one and turned them around between their hooves. 

“They’re beautiful! I’ve never seen anything like them before!” Sonata gushed, staring at her reflection in one and making goofy faces. 

“They could be powerful magical artifacts,” Adagio reasoned. 

“I think they are,” said Aria, and she slid hers on around her neck. The gemstone then proceeded to embed itself in the scaly chest-plate on her front side, glowing an ominous-looking red. Her teeth sharpened into fangs, and her eyes glowed green for a few moments. 

“Coooool!” Sonata followed suit, as did Adagio. Power unlike anything they had felt before flowed into their bodies, making them feel stronger. 

“Let’s try singing,” Adagio suggested, smiling darkly. She began to sing a wordless, haunting tune. The other two joined in, harmonizing effortlessly with no wrong notes. 

“We can sing! Awesome!” Sonata grinned and threw up a hoof.  
“I’m feeling kind of hungry though,” Aria broke in. “Let’s get something to eat.” 

“Yes, let’s,” Adagio said, smirking still more. She swam up to the surface, poking her head above the water. In the distance was a beach. She pointed, “We feed there,” she announced. “The land-ponies will never know what hit them.” And she began to laugh, starting as a chuckle before escalating into full-blown maniacal laughter. 

* * *

“And that was how we became the superpowered evil sirens you know and love!” Sonata concluded. 

Sunset gave a low whistle. “I think your backstory is better than mine.” Seeing the time, she gasped. “We’d better hit the hay, school tomorrow and all.” 

Nodding in agreement, the Dazzlings bid their hostess goodnight and went to brush their teeth. 

Sunset meanwhile went to her room and took out the large leather bound book with her cutie mark on the cover and opened it to a clean page. Taking a pen, she began to write: "Dear Princess Twilight: The Dazzlings and I have been talking, and Adagio expressed her desire to return to her old form, or as close to it as our world can manage. Only problem is, she can't, because of some safeguards Starswirl put in place when he banished them here. Think you can help us out? We'd all really appreciate it. Your friend, Sunset Shimmer." She signed her name with a flourish, then closed the book and got into bed herself, turning out the light. 

* * *

The next day, rather than a reply from Twilight, they found Twilight herself. She stood at the portal entrance, wearing her usual blue blouse and purple skirt. When she saw Sunset, they embraced, then Twilight inspected each of the Dazzlings, sizing them all up. 

Adagio wore an outfit similar to her previous one but without all the spikes, Aria wore a green sweater with a green shirt beneath, a purple skirt with two stripes, some leggings that were pink and also striped, a purple belt around her midsection, pink armbands, and purple boots. Last of all was Sonata, wearing pretty much all pink save for her tie. 

“You seem tame enough,” Twilight decided after a few moments of thought. “Sunset’s been filling me in of course, but I wanted to get a good look at you in person before I cast the spell... and from everything I’ve heard, I think ending your banishment is the right thing to do. The safeguards will expire, giving you full control over your shapeshifting abilities once more, and the ability to pass through the mirror to Equestria, should you ever choose to.” She turns back to Sunset, “It’ll take two to cast this spell though. Will you help?” 

Sunset smiled, “It would be my pleasure, Princess Twilight.” The five girls joined hands, and Sunset and Twilight began to intone the ancient words: _“Sapiens portam, et congregabuntur hic tres animae passa est. Erogato criminibus et corda renovantur. Rogamus autem vos, dona eis iter per ostium.”_ Then the Dazzlings were ensconced in golden light, and it was done. 

Twilight smiled. “By the power vested in me as a princess of Equestria, I hereby release you from your banishment, and grant the three of you a full pardon, and safe passage back to our lands, should you require it.” She hugged them all. “I’d stay a little longer, but I have to get back.” 

“See you soon then, Twilight,” Sunset said with a smile, and Twilight stepped back through the portal. 

* * *

The next day, the eight friends all went to the lake, intending to see whether the Dazzlings really could transform again. Not having the means to do so themselves yet, Sunset, Raven, Twilight, and Emerald all stayed on land, just in case something happened. 

Gem and the Dazzlings dove into the water, and all of them assumed mermaid form almost instantaneously. 

"I'm me again!" Sonata gushed, swimming around in circles and splashing Gem with her tail. 

"You look gorgeous," Gem said with a smile, hugging her after returning the splash. 

"It feels so good to be back," Adagio said as she paddled. "It's been centuries since I've felt this at home!" 

"What about the others?" Gem asked, pointing at the four on shore. 

Adagio thought for a few moments. "I suppose we could make them honorary Dazzlings too," she said. "And spread the power out amongst the eight of us." She smiled. "Yes... The thought pleases me." 

"Are you sure?" Gem asked again, tilting her head. 

Adagio smiled. "Of course I am, dear girl. You all know how important you are to each of us, it would be an honor to share our gifts with you." 

"Then I guess we should get started then!" Gem clapped her webbed hands excitedly. "What first?" 

Adagio indicated the jewel hanging around Gem's neck. "To make yours, the three of us concentrated our powers and magically generated a pendant almost exactly like our old ones. With your help, we can do the same for the others." She turned to look at Aria and Sonata, who were busy chasing each other around the lake and hurling the occasional insult. She whistled, and the two younger sirens swam over. 

"Join hands," Adagio commanded, and as one, grey met yellow which met blue which met purple. Forming a circle, the four Dazzlings sang together, louder and louder, as light surrounded them. In moments, the light faded and four more pendants lay on the shore. 

"Coooool!" said the four land-dwellers, rushing over and picking up a pendant each. They then dove into the water, taking their own mermaid forms. While they were all entranced at what they saw, Twilight especially was amazed. "Look at me!" she gushed. "My tail is so... Purple!" 

"It suits you," Emerald grinned, running her hand along Twilight's tail. Her own was the exact shade of green implied by her name. 

The eight friends splashed and played in the water happily, and discovered that they could now breathe underwater, thanks to the gills that grew whenever they were fully immersed. They only stopped when the sun went down, and Sonata realized how hungry she was. "Anyone for tacos?" she asked the group. 

"I think tacos sound wonderful," Gem agreed, and off they went to the local Mexicoltian restaurant for dinner. 

* * *

A few days later, Gem entered her bathroom and prepared for another bath, wearing her siren necklace as she had before. As the water filled the tub, she climbed inside and smiled at the now-familiar tingling sensation of her legs morphing into a scaly fish tail. Flicking her fins, Gem washed herself and settled in to relax, singing along to another song in the meantime: "Look at this stuff. Isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who has everything?..."


	9. Mystery Friendship Theater 3000

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emerald introduces Gem to a favorite TV show.

It was a warm summer night at Shadowfall Manor, and Gem, Aria, and Emerald were in Gem's home theater, preparing to watch an episode of a show Aria and Emerald both liked. "Explain to me the premise again," Gem said to Aria, as Emerald slid a DVD into the Blu-Ray player. "It's a show about this ordinary guy who gets shot up into outer space against his will, and he's made to watch some really terrible movies by his captors to see if one of them can be used to rule the world," Aria said patiently. 

"And to keep himself from going nuts," Emerald added, "Him and his robot companions make jokes during the movie!" 

Gem frowned. "But talking during movies is rude! Who in the world would find that kind of a show funny?" 

Emerald sighed as she sat on one side of Gem, and Aria sat on another. "Trust us Gem, it'll make more sense once you've watched an episode." Grinning at Aria, she held up the remote. "Ready?" 

"Ready," Aria confirmed. Emerald pressed play, and the opening titles began. “So, the whole show’s premise is explained in the theme song?” Gem asked. “It’s no different than Gilligan’s Island in that regard,” Emerald answered. “Except they weren’t riffing on cheesy sci-fi movies,” Aria added. 

“I can see the effects budget was well spent,” Gem snarked. 

Aria looked at Gem. “You sure you haven’t seen this before? You sound like a natural at this.” 

Emerald shushed the two. “Quiet, we’re starting now.” 

Gem watched the antics of Mike, whoever he was, and the ramshackle robots on screen with him for a while, and nearly jumped out of her seat as the characters on screen, Emerald, and Aria all chorused “WE’VE GOT MOVIE SIGN!” Then the movie started, but the busy day she’d had took a toll on her, on top of the incredulously boring movie playing out in front of her. In no time at all she was fast asleep. 

* * *

Gem awoke to find herself wearing a green jumpsuit, standing (or rather, partially laying on top of) the control panel of a rickety-looking spaceship. Directly in front of her was a spherical object with a camera pointed at her. A smaller panel with three large buttons sat to her right. She took a moment to look around and try to get her bearings. 

“Oh good, you’re finally awake.” She heard a voice to her left, and when she turned, she saw what looked like a gumball machine with a beak and two floppy, tiny arms. 

Gem sits up and rubs her head, feeling like she’d just been hit on the head with a hammer. The jumpsuit didn’t do much for her curves, either. Looking at the talking gumball machine, she tilts her head to one side. “Oh, hello... who are you? And... what are you? Apart from a floating gumball machine?” 

“Tom Servo’s the name, being in charge is my game!” Tom said happily, “and you must be the new suc—um, test subject that the mads sent up here.” He looked Gem over. “Lot prettier than the last ones, I must say,” in a voice that was supposed to be seductive. 

“Okay, Tom, you can go now, the real leader’s here!” Gem looked to her right to see a gangly robot, gold in color, with a large...beak, was it? It also had a net on top of it’s head. “Sweet Neptune’s navel, they sent us a female this time! Remind me to thank them next time we see them!” 

“Back off, I saw her first!” Tom threatened. 

“Boys, please,” Gem says, blushing bright red at being complimented so, “I’m already spoken for! To another girl, in fact!” 

“Man, that figures,” grumbles the gold robot. “The first girl on the ship, except Gypsy, and she’s already taken!” 

“So, what do they call you?” asked Tom, ignoring Crow. 

Gem smiled. “My name is Gemini. Or Gem, for short. It’s nice to meet you both.” She pats them fondly on the head. “I just have one question: why am I here?" 

“Another female?!” a voice rang out. A third robot, purple and big with a slender neck, swooshed into the scene. “Oh, this is wonderful! We can do each others makeup and have slumber parties and write self-insert erotic fanfiction about Richard Basehart...” 

A red light began to flash on the console. “Hang on, Gypsy, the Mads are calling,” Tom remarked. 

“The who?” Gem asked. 

“Push that red button there,” Crow instructed. Gem did so, and an image of a man with wild hair filled the screen. He wore a green lab coat with a patch that read “Deep 13” on the pocket. His hair had a white streak running through it, and a similar white streak ran through his mustache. “Ah! So glad you’re awake, my dear. I’ve been itching to get you started.” 

“And who are you?” Gem asks, looking very confused. “Where am I? Why am I here? What’s going on?” She starts looking around in a panic. “Started with what?! Is this some sort of experiment?!” 

“Relax, my little Chiquita banana,” said the man in a soothing voice. “I am Doctor Clayton Forrester, and I’m in charge of Deep 13. I also own that little spaceship you’re currently a pris —err, passenger on. All we’re going to do is this: I will send up some cheesy movies for you to watch, and you’ll watch them. Easy peasy, right? Oh, and your little robot friends will be with you the whole time.” 

“Well, as long as I have company... I suppose it can’t be too bad,” Gem says, thinking this over. “What is our first movie?” 

Forrester was about to answer when another man entered the picture. He wore all black and had oddly styled blond hair with a spitcurl in front. “Did our test subject wake up yet—whoa! You didn’t say it was a woman!” 

“Quiet, Frank,” Forrester said threateningly, then flashed a cheesy smile at Gem. “I don’t know, torturing a woman ... usually you like it the other way--” 

“ENOUGH, Frank!” Forrester bellowed. He turned back. “Today’s film is called The Brain That Wouldn’t Die. Unlike yours, my pretty, which will surely begin to atrophy as soon as you watch this little gem. Send ‘em the movie, Frank!” 

The ship began to shake and all of the lights began to flash. “OH, WE GOT MOVIE SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGN!!” cried Tom and Crow.

* * *

Gem comes out of the theater after roughly 20 minutes looking thoroughly bewildered and rather green. “Ugh... I don’t think this movie is agreeing with me, you two,” she says to Tom and Crow. “There -is- a ladies’ room aboard, isn’t there?” 

“You’re the only one aboard that needs one, so I guess any of ‘em’s the ladies’ room,” Crow replied. 

“You know,” Tom said, moving behind Gem, “you need to relax a bit. Can’t let the stress of these movies get to you.” 

“So that’s why you make all those comments?” Gem asked. 

“You got some pretty good ones in yourself,” Tom answered. “Tell you what, let me give your shoulders a quick rubdown...little of the ol’ Servo magic, as it were...” 

“He’s putting the moves on you, you know,” Crow whispered conspiratorially. “Now, me, I would never do something as lowbrow and crass as that.” 

“Yeah, he’ll just use every lame pickup line until one works,” quipped Tom. 

Gem chuckles, and kisses both of the bots on where she assumes their cheeks would be, if they were human. “You two are really quite sweet,” she says, smiling. “I think we’ll get along splendidly, especially once we’ve returned to Earth.” She nods, as if coming to a sudden decision. “Now, how to contact the girls... I don’t think my cell phone works up here...” 

“Unauthorized communication with the planet is strictly prohibited,” a feminine voice announced. “Sorry dear, you’re stuck here with us now.” 

“Magic Voice, we wanted to break that to her gently!” Crow huffed, clearly frustrated. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Magic Voice said. Then, in a soothing tone, she reassured Gem, “Don’t worry. Everything will be allllllllllll right.” 

“Well, we’ll worry about that later. Time to go back into the theater,” Tom announced. 

Before Gem could ask, Crow responded, “He was built with the timing circuits. Only he knows when the movie will start and stop.” 

“And remember, you need to carry me into the theater, I can’t make it over the air vent,” Tom reminded Gem. 

“Good thing you’re light,” Gem sighs, picking Servo up in her arms and cradling him as a mother might.

* * *

By now, it’s nighttime, or at least what the ship’s internal clock says is night. The lights are dim, and Gem is sitting at the viewport in her room, which (judging by some of the items left over) previously belonged to some guy named Joel. Staring down at the view of Earth far below, she begins to cry. Not even tea could cheer her up. 

A soft knocking on the door is followed by Tom asking, “Gem? You don’t sound too good, you want someone to talk to?” 

“Sure, Tom,” Gem calls back, sniffling. The door opens and in comes Tom. Gem wraps him up in her arms and hugs him close to her chest, her eyes red with tears. “I want to be back down there,” she says quietly, pointing a shaking hand at Earth below. “With my fiancé, and our friends... where I can see whatever movies I want, go wherever I want... You, Crow, Gypsy, and Cambot have all been very nice, but... down there is home. And I want to get back there, even if takes me the rest of my life to do it.” 

“I know you do, Gem,” Tom replied, “and we’ll do whatever we can to get you home again. We’ll all miss you terribly, but we all know where you really belong.” He sighs a robotic sigh. “Look, I know all of this seems like a really bad, twisted dream right now. But there is a way to get around all of that. And all you really need to do is WAKE UP!” 

* * *

Gem opened her eyes when Aria shook her shoulders. Soft music played in the background as the credits scrolled over the screen. “Welcome back, sleepyhead. I guess your day went worse that we thought, you slept through almost the entire thing.” 

“I had the weirdest dream...” Gem said, coming around. “I dreamed I was aboard the ship, met the robots, and had to watch the movie... the bots were awfully nice though.” She sat up. “Can we watch another?” 

Emerald grinned. “We sure can! We’ll do one of my personal favourites: SOOOOOOOULLLLLLTAKERRRRRRRR!” Laughing at Gem’s deer-in-headlights expression, Emerald went to put in the DVD. As it played, Gem watched and even made a few riffs of her own. By the end, she smiled. “You know what? I think this is an excellent program!” 

Emerald and Aria smiled. “Told ya,” Aria said smugly.

Emerald looked at Gem and grinned. “Push the button, Frank,” she said.

Gem pushed a button on the remote and the scene faded to black. 


	10. Rubies and Rainbooms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gem and Sunset find themselves in the canon Equestria Girls universe.

Carrie took off her goggles and turned off her soldering iron, then smiled at Gem. "The portal controller should be all ready to go now, cousin!" She and Gem were standing in the living room of the apartment, facing the mirror portal that had been installed a month previously. Beside it was a keypad with digits ranging from 0-9, made from an old calculator.

"Remind me what it does, again?" Sunset asked, entering the living room.

Carrie grinned. "This keypad I've installed will allow you to visit other universes other than Equestria, like that robot universe you told me about!" She tapped a few numbers into the keypad. "The address for that world is U-76268, or R-O-B-O-T. I've also included a randomizer, so you can step through and wind up someplace completely unexpected!"

"I see," Sunset replied. "Well, I say we give it a test drive. What do you think, Gem?"

Gem grinned. "Let's do it!"

Carrie pressed the random button, and the portal launched into life. 

"Is it safe?" Gem asked.

Carrie shrugged. "Probably. Try not to die!"

"We won't," Gem and Sunset said together, and they stepped through.

* * *

On the front lawn of Canterlot High, the portal statue burst into life and ejected two young girls: one had pale amber skin, blue-green eyes, and red and yellow hair. The other had pale grey skin, long brown hair, and bright green eyes. The two got up and looked around in confusion.

"I thought she said it would take us to another universe," said Sunset, looking around. "This is just Canterlot!"

"That is weird," Gem agreed, and took out her magic screwdriver, pressing the button. It buzzed loudly as she moved her arm around in a circular motion, then checked the readings: "It's definitely Earth, and I'm picking up signs of Equestrian magic... I even checked for individual magical signatures... yours is here, and Twilight's, but mine isn't... neither is Raven's, Emerald's, or any of the Dazzlings.”

“That’s weird,” Sunset said, frowning. “I wonder why that is… should we go inside and find out?”

“Let’s,” Gem said, and the two walked in through the front doors of their school. Or rather, what they thought was their school. The hallways were empty, though the classrooms were filled with kids learning from a teacher.

“Excuse me, ladies, but do either of you have a hall pass?” asked a familiar voice. Vice Principal Luna came striding down the hallway toward them, wearing her usual outfit of a pink top and blue jeans. “Sunset Shimmer, I sent you to class not half an hour ago. You should still be there, not wandering the hallways as if you own the place.” She turned to Gem. “And as for you, young miss, unless you are a new student I see no reason why you should be out here either.”

Gem blinked. “…Vice Principal Luna, what are you talking about? I’m Gemini Shadow! Remember? Founder of the Rainbow Alliance? One of eight periodic saviors of Canterlot High?”

Luna frowned, her lips pursed. “I’m sorry, but there is no such person known as Gemini Shadow in attendance at this school, nor is there any record of a club called the Rainbow Alliance. However, if you’ll please come with me, we can at least rectify the first problem.”

Gem gulped and looked over at Sunset for help. “Now what?”

“You’d better go with her,” Sunset said. “I’ll go to class and see if I can find any of our friends. We’ll meet up during lunch.” And so the duo split up, with Gem walking with Luna to her office and Sunset walking to where her fifth hour class was usually held.

The teacher was giving a droning lecture about a rebellion or other that had occurred in the seventeenth century, and didn’t notice Sunset come in. One other student did, however: she had bright white skin, purple hair arranged in a complicated-looking swirl. She wore a pale blue top with short sleeves, gold bracelets on her arms, a purple skirt with three diamonds stitched into the side, and purple boots with buckles shaped like those same diamonds. 

As Sunset sat beside her, the girl widened her blue eyes in complete surprise. “Sunset, darling, I didn’t know you took this class before lunch,” she whispered. “I thought you had it in the afternoons!”

Sunset blinked. “What do you mean? I always…” She stopped, and tried again. “I mean, yeah, I just got it changed this morning… listen, you haven’t seen a girl with yellow skin and poofy orange and yellow hair around, have you? Or a magenta girl with purple and green pigtails? Or a blue girl with a long ponytail and a taco obsession?”

The girl’s jaw dropped. “You mean the Dazzlings? Why, of course not! Those three haven’t shown their faces around here since they got booed off the stage after the musical showcase! And good riddance, as far as I’m concerned! I’d rather not see any of those girls again as long as I live! Hmph!” She tipped her nose in the air haughtily.

Now it was Sunset who looked surprised. She jabbed a finger into the girl’s chest, looking angry. “Listen, I’ll have you know that those three girls are some of the nicest-”

She was interrupted by a noise from the front as the teacher cleared his throat, looked up from his notes, and said “Miss Sunbeam, I ask that you please cease with your side conversation at once. Your fellow students are trying to learn.” Sunset’s fellow students had mostly fallen asleep.

Sunset nodded. “Yes sir, sorry sir.” And she was quiet until the end of the lesson.

* * *

Lunch became very odd very quickly. Sunset followed the white-skinned girl she met to the very corner table near a window where she usually sat with Gem and the others, only to find it filled with six other girls: one with blue skin and hair like a rainbow, another with pale yellow skin and pink hair, another with orange skin, freckles, and a cowboy hat, a fourth with curly pink hair and matching skin, a fifth who was very obviously Twilight, and... herself.

The other Sunset wore a different leather jacket without the orange arrows on the sleeves, and a pink shirt with her cutie mark on the chest. She gaped. "...how can there be two of me here? Who are you?"

"That's what I'd like to know," said Sunset Prime, crossing her arms. "Who are all these girls? Don't they go to Crystal Prep?"

"I do," said Twilight quietly, putting up her hand as if she were in class. "I transferred here a week ago, after the Friendship Games."

"Just you?" asked Sunset Prime. "What about Emerald?"

Twilight blinked. "Who's Emerald? I don't know any Emerald."

"And I have never been enrolled at Crystal Prep," began the white-skinned girl.

"Yeah!" shouted the girl with rainbow hair. "That school's filled with a bunch of rich, super competitive jerks!" She glanced at Twilight. "Uh... no offense."

"None taken," sighed Twilight.

Gem appeared at the scene at that precise moment, zeroing in on Sunset Prime. "I finally figured out what's going on!" she said quickly. "No wonder there is no record of me here, I don't exist! The Dazzlings were here but haven't been seen since the Battle, and while Twilight is here, Emerald isn't because she doesn't exist either!" Then she froze. The six girls sitting at the table were giving her some very odd looks. Gem looked at them, then at the two Sunsets, and sighed. "Yes... well. that device of Carrie's works perfectly," she said at last.

"You'll have to excuse my friend," said Sunset Prime. "She's a little excitable."

The yellow girl with pink hair raised a hand and asked "Does this mean you two are from another world too?"

Gem nods. "Just like this one, except in my world, you five," she pointed to everyone but Twilight and the other Sunset, "are Crystal Prep students. I"m Gemini Shadow, who are you girls?"

The five introduced themselves as Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. They then spent the remainder of the lunch hour discussing the differences between their two worlds.

“So, lemme get this straight,” Applejack began, looking over at Gem and SunPrime. “Y’all are from another dimension, that’s just like ours ‘cept us five,” she gestured to herself and everyone minus their Sunset and Twilight, “are Crystal Preppers and the Sirens are good gals.”

Gem nodded. “That is correct.”

“And your cousin,” Rarity continued, “and your Sunset, whom I believe we shall address as Sunny just to keep things straight, built a portal that can take you to any universe you want.”

Sunny nodded this time. “Right again.”

“And you can hit a button and jump somewhere at random!” Pinkie gushed excitedly. “Like a world full of robots! Or ponies! Or robot ponies!”

Both of the other-worlders nodded at once, then said “Three for three.”

“So, if it’s a random portal that sent you here, how will you get back to your own world? Is the connection still there?” asked Twilight.

Gem shrugged, “I’m not quite sure, we’ll have to check…” She rose from the table. “Come along Sunset, we can sneak out while everyone is distracted with class.” The others nodded, and the nine girls spent the rest of the lunch hour chatting until the bell rang.

* * *

As the main seven went off to class, Gem and Sunny snuck as quickly as they could out to the school and toward the front lawn. Gem took out her magic screwdriver and began to adjust some settings, then pressed the button. She frowned as she checked the results. “The signal is still there, I can just make out Carrie’s signature, but it’s weak… too weak for even one of us to go back through.”

“What can we do then?” Sunny asked, puzzled. “Last time this happened to us, we had a computer program to do the dirty work!”

“But here, we have those seven girls,” Gem pointed out. “Their version of you, Twilight, and everybody else. All we need to do is amplify the portal’s resonating frequency and that should give us enough power to go home!” She leaned in close. “Because you know what? I like our world more than this one, even if they are virtually identical.”

"Can't say I blame you," Sunny replied, nodding in agreement. "Anyway... maybe we can sleep over at one of their houses?" she suggests. "I'm tired after today, and I wouldn't want to over-stress the portal connection more than we have already."

"Good point," Gem agrees. "We'll ask one of the others once school gets out."

* * *

School got out at precisely 2:20 that same afternoon, and as the herd of students headed toward the buses, (Gem and Sunny were dismayed to learn that Longhaul wasn't here either) the other Twilight and Sunset caught Sunny and Gem.

"So did you find out what was going on with the portal?" Sunset asked.

Sunny nodded and quickly recapped what she and Gem had learned, then said "It should be easy to do, but we figured it'd be best to wait a day before trying it out. Would you girls mind if we stayed with one of you for the night?"

"I was just about to suggest such a thing!" Rarity announced, as she, Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash joined them. "You two simply must stay with me," she said, grinning at them. "Especially you, Miss Gemini! Ooh, i've been sketching out ideas for outfits for you all afternoon, I think you'll positively love them!"

"Outfits?!" said Gem in surprise. "But we're only going to be here another day!"

Rarity patted Gem's shoulder. "Oh come now, you should always be prepared! If you were going to the moon, I'd insist that you pack an evening gown! One never knows, darling! Besides.." She ran her fingertips down Gem's arm and hands, "Your physique is inspiring, I can't help myself! Trust me, you'll look ravishing no matter where you go!"

"I guess that's that then," Gem said, blushing bright pink. "How about you, Sunny?"

"I think I'll stay with Twilight," Sunny said. "To keep the two of us," she gestured to her other self, "from confusing each other."

"And we'll all meet back here tomorrow morning," Gem decided. "See you tomorrow, girls!"

* * *

Rarity's house was painted in purples and periwinkle blues, and the entire first floor was devoted solely to her clothes-making business. "I must say, it is simply a delight to finally meet someone who understands good taste," Rarity was saying, as she led Gem inside. "Would you like a cup of tea, my dear?"

"Please," Gem said, smiling back. She looked around the room, visibly impressed. "And you've done this all yourself?"

“I did have a little help,” Rarity admitted. “When Photo Finish saw some of my designs for our last school play, she immediately contacted her parents and the next thing I knew, they’d placed me here in the heart of the business district, but as far as my clothes making is concerned, indeed I did!” They go upstairs to the second floor, which is laid out more like an apartment. Rarity walks over to the kitchenette and begins making tea, leaving Gem to sit down on the couch. “Most of my clientele tend to be female,” Rarity was saying. “Not that I’m insinuating anything about you, of course! No no, everything about you just screams girl!”

“That’s a relief,” Gem replied, releasing the breath she had been holding. “Do you have a men’s department?”

“A small one,” Rarity admitted. “There simply aren’t too many men who would even think of stepping into a shop like mine, lest they get infected with ‘cooties.’ Thankfully, there are exceptions to every rule.” She quickly brought over a silver tray with two tea cups, the pot itself, milk, sugar, and a small selection of snacks for dipping. 

Gem busied herself preparing her cup as she preferred it. “You mentioned you had some designs for me?”

Rarity smiled, “Indeed I did! We can have a modeling session after this if you like, I think you’ll really enjoy them. I’ll just have to make sure I have your measurements right.”

Gem smiled. "I think I would like that very much, Rarity."

* * *

Over the next few hours, Gem tried on various outfits while Rarity looked them over, checking the fit and making sure everything looked the way it was supposed to. The last outfit Gem tried on was a dark blue sweater with a matching skirt and heels, with a white button-up shirt beneath the sweater.

"Well, what do you think?" Rarity asked, adjusting her orange glasses.

Gem smiled and posed with her hand on one hip, "I think I look amazing! Oh Rarity, thank you!"

Rarity smiled and gave Gem a hug. "You are quite welcome, Miss Gemini! You've been such a wonderful customer!" Then she yawned. "Oh, pardon me... I suppose we should get some sleep, shouldn't we?"

Gem nodded. "I think that'd be best, since you have to get up early tomorrow." Rarity nodded too, and the two girls traipsed up to bed.

* * *

"So, what's the plan?" Rainbow Dash asked, when school let out later the following afternoon. 

Gem smiled. "It's quite simple, really. Assuming your magic works the same way here as it does where I come from, we'll need you seven to combine your powers and direct it at the portal, so strengthen its existing power so the two of us can get home."

"That is quite easy!" Rarity said in amazement.

Sunset nods. "This shouldn't take any time at all. Girls, join hands!" Each of the seven do so, and let the magic flow through their bodies as one. They rise into the air, quickly developing pony ears and tail-like hair extensions. Hands glowing, they shoot a rainbow at the portal and it begins to ripple like water. 

"That's our cue!" Gem announces. "So long, you seven! Thank you and goodbye!" The two dive through and the portal closes behind them.


	11. Sunset's Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunset is feeling glum, so the girls plan to celebrate her birthday in style.

Tomorrow was September 22nd, and Sunset Shimmer was about to turn 18. Again. She had been 18 when she had left Equestria, only to find herself aged backward into the form of a 15 year old human girl when she arrived in the human world. Needless to say, the adjustments had been... difficult. She had the mind of an adult unicorn in the body of a pubescent human, which led to a mismatch between mind and body that only Gem could properly understand. 

Now, after having spent so much time here, her mind had changed to match. Sunset wasn't sure, but she figured that her brain had finally been re-wired to account for her new species.  

All of this was Sunset's way of ignoring the larger issue at hand: exactly what was she going to do for her birthday? She had no ideas. Sunset's birthdays had never been very happy occasions. Her parents were too busy working for the Princess to pay any real attention to her, and after their deaths, none of the palace foals cared. Only Princess Celestia had done anything to celebrate the day, and even that came to an end once Sunset's aspirations became clear. In the end, her birthday (along with Hearthswarming) was just another day for Sunset to reflect on her failures. 

"Alright Sunset, what's on your mind?" said a voice. Gemini Shadow came over to the lunch table and sat down, carrying a tray filled with that day's lunch: chicken nuggets with ketchup, a cup of fruit, some carrot sticks, and a carton of chocolate milk. 

Frowning concernedly, the grey-skinned girl placed her hand on one of Sunset's. "You've been looking down all week, and we're starting to worry about you," she explained. "Do you want to talk about it?" 

"I guess," Sunset said, remembering what had happened last Christmas. "It's my birthday tomorrow, and I... I don't really know what to do. I never had parties when I was a filly, and when I came here, I was so angry all the time it was just an excuse to bully people even more than usual." 

"And now, because you're unused to having friends who care about you, you don't want to make a fuss?" Gem asked knowingly. At Sunset's nod, she reached around and gave her friend a tight hug. "Don't you worry, Sunset, I'm coming up with a plan as we speak. I promise you, this birthday will be the best birthday you've ever had." 

"You don't have to," Sunset tried. 

Gem shook her head and smiled warmly. "Nonsense. Everyone should have a reason to smile on their birthday, and you are no different." 

Sunset smiled. "Thanks Gem... you're the best friend I've ever had." 

Gem blushed. "I try."

* * *

After school that day, Raven, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata gathered at Gem's house to plan Sunset's party. Gem had sent them all a group text earlier that day inviting them over, since the cafe was too crowded and being overheard was risky, as Sunset couldn't hear any details of the party. 

"Planning this party is going to be difficult," Gem said, "Since none of us are natural party planners... but we all do know Sunset rather well." 

"She doesn't like a fuss, that's for sure," Raven agreed. "Who can blame her? I'd be like that too if I turned into a raging she-demon. No offense." Raven's phone buzzed; checking it revealed a message from Sunset: "None taken." Raven gaped. "How did she know?!" 

"Female intuition," Adagio suggested. "Anyway, if we keep it between the six of us, seven if you add Longhaul, that should keep it from getting too complicated. But where do we hold it?" 

"I say we hold it at our house!" Sonata gushed. "I can make tacos!"  
Aria slapped Sonata on the back of the head, "It's supposed to be a surprise, Taco Belle," she snapped. 

"Why not here?" Gem offered. "It's plenty large enough." Everyone nodded in agreement at these words. 

“Then there’s the question of the present,” Adagio pointed out. “What do you get a former unicorn pony for her birthday, anyway?” 

“I think it oughta be something that kinda... welcomes her to the human world, you know what I mean?” Raven suggested. “Since no one really welcomed her here when she first arrived." 

“From what you’ve said, she was a regular rhymes-with-witch when she got here,” Adagio interjected. Raven nodded. “Yeah, there was that...but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to make up for lost time.” Gem continues to think. "For my party, we had a little get-together in the park... but what else is there?" "Maybe we could ask Princess Twilight!" Sonata gasps. "She and Sunset are totally BFFs!" 

“And how do we get in touch with her, Miss Enchi-nada?” Aria snarked.  
“I wonder if the diner would help us out. We are pretty much regulars over there,” Adagio pondered. ‘Sugarcube Corner might be willing to do that too,” Raven speculated. 

"I have a plan!" Gem stands up, inspired. She points at the Dazzlings. "You three, take care of catering and finding a venue for us to hold the party. Raven and I will talk to Twilight." She looks to Raven. "Fancy a quick trip to Equestria? I've met the Princess once before, when I went with Sunset." 

Raven smirked. "Oh yeah, I remember. And I heard about the taco party you had when you got home!" Gem blushed. 

“But what says ‘welcome home’ better than a taco? I mean, the tortilla wrapping itself lovingly around the filling, holding it in a tender embrace, feeeeEEEEEEEEEE!” Sonata fished the ice cubes out from inside her bra, glaring daggers at Aria, who whistled innocently. 

"Come on, knuckleheads," Adagio grumbled playfully, grabbing her sisters by the arms and dragging them away. "Let's go sweet talk some grownups."

* * *

 "So, this is the portal, huh?" Raven said, surveying the statue. "And we just step through? No big fancy incantations or anything?" 

Gem nodded. "One small step for a girl, one giant leap for mankind. Want to go first?"

Raven nodded. "Do I ever! Race ya!" She dove through the stone, with Gem following along behind. 

Swirls of color and light surrounded the two as they made their journey through the mirror. Raven emerged first, and promptly lost her balance, not being used to walking on four legs. With a flailing of hooves, she landed belly-first on the floor of the castle. Gem stepped through a moment later. “I win,” Raven groaned, waving a hoof limply in the air. 

"Up you get, silly pony," Gem giggles, helping Raven to her hooves. 

A passing pale purple pony with a purple mane streaked with aquamarine peeked inside. "Oh, are you two from that freaky ape dimension?" she asked. 

Gem nodded, brushing aside the comment about freaky apes. "I'm Gemini Shadow, and this is my fiance, Raven Sable. You..." She froze. "Are you Starlight Glimmer?" 

Starlight's jaw dropped. "How do you know my name?" 

"'Cause last semester, some old bat with that name became principal of our school and turned the place into her personal kingdom," Raven replied bluntly. "She looked like you too." She scowled, immediately distrustful. 

"I'll... I'llberightback!" Starlight sped off to go inform Twilight of the new arrivals. 

Raven stood, although somewhat wobbly, and watched as Starlight exited. “Does everyone have a twin in this pony world?” she asked. 

Gem nods. "Mine is a handsome unicorn stallion named Orion. I haven't met Carrie's yet, but Orion assures me she exists. Now, while we wait, we may as well get you used to walking." She smiles, then trots about the room in a circle, moving like she's had four legs all her life. "Think of it as really advanced crawling!" 

Raven starts moving around in a circle, occasionally stumbling, until she finally starts to get the hang of it and begins walking faster. “Hey, this isn’t too bad at all! I wonder if the princess had the same problem adapting that we did?” 

“I did, and it required more balance to get used to it,” came a voice from the doorway, which startled Raven so much that she immediately fell to the floor again, hooves flailing. 

Gem sighs and helps Raven up again before sinking into a bow. "It's a pleasure to see you again, your Majesty," she says. 

Raven looks at Twilight in amazement. "Whoa... so that's what you look like here! The last time I saw you, you were just a teenager, like us!" 

Twilight smiled. "It's good to see you too, Raven. I'm surprised to see you both here, actually. I wasn't expecting company." 

"It's a little short notice," Gem admits. "Sunset's birthday is coming up, and this was the best way we could contact you without alerting her. Think you can help us?" 

“Barring any major friendship emergencies, I believe I can,” Twilight answered. “What kind of help do you require?” 

Gem thinks. "We want her party to be a proper welcome to our world, since she never really had one in the first place... to make up for lost time, as it were." She looks over at Twilight. "If you were a recent immigrant to a strange and foreign land, what kinds of things would you do once you arrived?" 

Twilight thought. “As for what I’d do, I suppose that, being new to the place, I would attempt to acclimate and get to know the local customs, see what the locals do. If you’re looking for a way to formally welcome Sunset, then do what you would normally do in accordance with the customs in your world,” she answered. 

Gem nods, the wheels turning in her head. "Yes, I'm starting to get an idea now! Thanks Twilight!" She turns back toward the mirror, but before she does, extends the princess a warm smile. "By the way, consider yourself invited! I think Sunset would get a real kick out of seeing you again. We'll let you know when and where the party is as soon as we find out!" 

“Thanks, Gem, and good luck!” Twilight waves as Gem and Raven step through the mirror.

* * *

"...And so I was thinking that we start the day with a trip to the spa," Gem explained to Adagio, at school the next day. "Then, after, we can spend the rest of the time at that place you mentioned... the restaurant arcade place?" 

Adagio nodded. "Buster & Dave's. They've got arcade games and some really spectacular food. I think we'll all enjoy it!" 

"That sounds wonderful!" Gem clapped her hands excitedly. "Now we just have to keep Sunset from finding out..." 

"Finding out what?" Sunset asked, sitting down beside the other two. "If you're talking about my birthday, I don't have any plans. I was just gonna rent a few movies from the Blockbuster, maybe treat myself to some ice cream. Nothing huge." 

The other girls looked at each other, then at Sunset. They all smiled. “Nah. You have other plans, And they’re huge,” Raven said. 

"If you say so," Sunset replied, shrugging.

* * *

The day of the party arrived. As promised, Gem took Sunset to the spa, and the two girls spent a happy two hours getting the full deluxe treatment. 

"There, wasn't that splendid?" Gem said with a smile as they exited the spa, looking like they'd just stepped off a magazine cover. "I feel like a whole new woman!" 

“I do feel better,” Sunset agreed. “I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that, even back in Equestria. Speaking of which, did Princess Twilight say if she was coming today?” 

"I think she did, yes..." Gem thinks, then nods. "Raven will bring her over to our next destination." She unlocked her car and hopped in, driving off into inner Canterlot. "What were your birthdays in Equestria like?" 

Sunset shrugged. “I never paid much attention to them. All I did was whatever I had to do on that particular day. There was no celebration, no party, no anything special.” 

"All the more reason for today, then," Gem replied. "I hope we can make up for all those missed opportunities." They park outside the arcade, joining a small fleet of cars belonging to the rest of the girls. Longhaul's car was visible too. Gem and Sunset enter, and they're immediately led to a private room decorated with streamers, balloons, and an enormous cake covered in red, yellow, and orange icing. Little figurines of Sunset and her friends adorn the top. 

"Happy birthday, Sunset!" everyone choruses. The girls are there, as is Twilight, and of course Longhaul. 

Sunset is flabbergasted, then quickly overwhelmed as tears start to flow. She sniffles a few times, and manages to say, “Th—thanks, all of you, I...I don’t know what to say.” 

"You don't have to say anything," Twilight replies, giving Sunset a hug. "You've come so far since the last time I was here... I'm very proud of you, Sunset." 

"I couldn't do it without you," Sunset replied. "All of you!" She goes over to Longhaul and hugs him. "You did more than help me clean up after the mess I made... if it wasn't for you, I'd probably be homeless, too ashamed to show my face. You believed in me when I was at my lowest point... and I can't thank you enough." 

Longhaul wraps her in a tight embrace. “Happy birthday, sweetie,” he whispers, trying to hold back his emotions. He releases her and smiles. 

An incredibly pink girl with cotton candy hair and blue eyes bursts into the room and proclaims, "Let's get this party started!" 

* * *

What follows is an afternoon of fun and adventure as the friends play as many arcade games as they can, win prizes, and gorge themselves on cake, plus other snacks. Hours later, Gem and Sunset sit together on the roof of Sunset's house, looking down on the nighttime streets of Canterlot. The moon is rising, and the stars are bright. 

Gem smiles, and places a soft kiss on Sunset's cheek. "Happy birthday, my friend," she says. "I hope today was magical." 

“It certainly was,” Sunset answered, staring skyward. “I can honestly say it was the best of both worlds.” she hugs Gem and kisses her cheek. “Thank you so much for organizing the party. You really are a true friend.” 

"It's my pleasure," Gem replies, hugging back. She ponies up and gets to her feet, yawning slightly. "I should be getting home, but I'll see you tomorrow. Before I do go, however..." She takes out a book from her backpack and hands it to Sunset. "A book of spells from somepony named Starswirl the Bearded... Twilight has been wondering how human magic works, and thought that might give us a good starting point to experiment with." 

Sunset turned the book carefully in her hands. “This is one of Starswirl’s spellbooks? This is amazing, I never thought I’d get to study one of these!” She opened the book and flipped through the pages. “This will give me a good starting point to figuring out how magic works in this world...if it does at all. I’ll be sure to thank her for the gift!” 

Gem smiled and nodded. "I have a feeling it does... after all, I do have pony ears." She flicks them a few times and grins. "See you tomorrow, Sunset." 

"Goodnight, Gem," Sunset replied, waving. 


	12. Oversaturated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gem visits the Oversaturated World, as created by FanOfMostEverything on FIMFiction.

Gemini Shadow's life had changed forever when she first learned of the portal to Equestria. Half of her friends were originally born in the world of pastel-coloured ponies, and those who weren't had learned, over time, to harness magic just as well as any pony could, making her group unique among her fellow humans.

But that wasn't all the portal had done. Through it, Gem had seen glimpses of other Equestrias, other Earths. There was one Equestria where the inhabitants were all pony-shaped robots, and another Earth that was filled with similarly cybernetic humans. There was a world where she and her friends were little more than two-legged ponies, and one where she, Raven, and Emerald didn't exist at all, and the Dazzlings had never attended CHS.

Gem knew she would never be able to visit all the parallel worlds that existed. They were practically infinite, with every decision she ever made spawning the creation of another alternate world. Nor could she think of all the possibilities, there were just too many to comprehend. Which was why, in her infinite wisdom, Carrie had installed a randomiser when she built the mirror portal that now hung in the living room of the apartment.

Since she was on her own and had nothing better to do with her time, Gem pressed the button. There was a pause, then the portal burst into life, the glass transforming into a colourful vortex. Then she took a deep breath and leapt through the glass.

* * *

Gem landed, seemingly as always, in the courtyard of Canterlot High. She stood up and dusted herself off, getting quickly to her feet and checking her reflection in a small hand mirror. What she saw made her She once again had pony ears, though they remained on the sides of her head, making her resemble a Vulcan. The biggest surprise sat right in the middle of her forehead: it was a bright green gemstone, the same colour as her eyes. It quietly thrummed with energy as she placed her fingertips on the surface, looking thunderstruck. "What the..."

"Hey! Where'd you come from?!" shouted a familiar voice. An amorphous blob of orange-red energy resolved itself into the form of Sunset Shimmer, though it wasn't the Sunset Gem knew. While her outfit was the same as always, this Sunset had a cape of pure light wrapped around her shoulders, which became a pair of fiery wings. She crossed her arms, frowning. "Mind explaining who you are?"

"My name is Gemini Shadow," Gem replied. "You're Sunset Shimmer, of course... but do _you_ mind explaining why I have a piece of jewellery stuck to my forehead?"

"That's your headgem," Sunset explained. "It means you're a unicorn aspect. There are also Pegasus aspects, and earth aspects."

Gem stared at Sunset with a thoroughly bewildered expression on her face. "Sunset, I haven't the faintest idea what you're on about," she said bluntly. "What _is_ all this talk of 'aspects' supposed to _mean_? What happened here?"

"Come with me," Sunset replied. "I'll explain everything inside." She led Gem into the school. It was, of course, filled with conversing humans, but they weren't quite what Gem was familiar with. Some had headgems, others had feathers running down their backs starting at the neck, and still more had little hooves at the ends of their fingers, rather than nails.

"A few months ago, the statue you just came through was leaking Equestrian magic," Sunset explained as they walked. "To make a long story short, I went back to Equestria, bonded with the Tree of Harmony, and got reincarnated as... well, a deity. Since then, my job has been to oversee this world and ensure it doesn't fall apart from the influx of magic."

"And so you spread the magic out among the populace, turning them into... this," Gem finished. "How like a god, forcing your will upon your creations without regard for their own autonomy. Did they ask for this? No, you just went ahead and changed reality!"

Sunset out her hands on her hips, looking cross. "It was either that or watch the world get destroyed!" she said loudly. "Twilight got turned into the literal personification of magic, Rarity grew a horn from her forehead, Dash and Fluttershy were growing wings! It was either cleanse this world of Equestrian magic or turn it into a second Equestria, ponies and all!"

"And so you chose the third option," Gem realized. "That's exactly what I would have done." She placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "I'm sorry I yelled... this is just a lot to take in. We had a similar problem in my world, but it didn't turn out like this."

"What happened in your world?" Sunset asked, as the two resumed their walk.

Gem’s headgem glowed as she tapped into this world’s magic to produce a cup of tea so she could have something to drink as they went along, and continued. "In my world's version of events, I gathered together my friends... you, my girlfriend, the Dazzlings, Twilight, Twilight'a girlfriend... and attempted to stop the magic by playing a song."

"What song did you play?" Sunset inquired.

Gem smiled. "Do you know 'Shine Like Rainbows?'"

Sunset smiled back. "Am I ever, Fluttershy wrote that!"

Gem chuckled. "Where I come from, it was Sonata. Anyway, we sang the song, directed our magic at the portal, but... the cracks in the base never sealed. The portal got eaten by raw magic, and I got trapped in the vortex between Earth and Equestria. But I wasn't alone... your demon self was there, as was Midnight Sparkle."

Sunset looked astounded and horrified. "They had their own bodies?!”

Gem shook her head. “No, I think they just took over yours for a bit… they tried to kill me, but fortunately, my cousin Carrie intervened and rescued me. We also managed to trap the residual magic inside a device she made from a dinner plate, don’t ask me how that works.”

“Your cousin sounds like quite an inventive person,” Sunset commented, chuckling. 

Gem nodded. “She absolutely is, I don’t know what I’d do without her.” She finished her tea. “Anyway… there’s something else about your world I don’t understand. I can sense the Equestrian magic that’s here, I’ve used so much of it I could spot it a mile off… but there’s something else here, too. In the background. What is that?”

“Human magic,” Sunset answered. “It’s a lot more subtle than Equestrian magic, and actively resisted any attempts I made to study it… like with cutie marks. In Equestria, ponies get them when we discover our special talents, but here, they’re called icons. If you’re a Harmonist, you have an epiphany, travel to the local temple, and ask the priests for a swatch of cloth, which will change to match your skin color when it decides you’re ready.”

“Fascinating…” Gem thought this over. “In my world, there’s nothing quite so complicated as all that… we just have particular connections to certain objects or designs. Like in my case, a pocket watch.” She gestured to the necklace she wore, with a pocket watch shaped charm attached to the gold chain. “I got this when we went to Camp Everfree and got new magical abilities.”

Sunset eyed the pocket watch. “You mean like, time magic?”

Gem nodded, “Exactly! I can freeze time, slow it down, speed it up… all within bubbles, of course.”

Sunset nodded. “I see.” There came a buzz from the pocket of her jeans, and she checked her phone to see what was going on. “I gotta go, apparently I have to go calm down a couple of members of the Church of the Divine Bacon Horse…”

Gem’s jaw dropped. “Church of the _what_ horse?!”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Don’t ask. Will you be okay getting back to the portal on your own?”

Gem nodded. “I should be, this school isn’t exactly unfamiliar to me. So long!” The two girls went their separate ways.

* * *

Back in her home universe, Gem ran her hands along her forehead and was pleased to find that it was as smooth and devoid of jewelry as it had always been. “Phew… no offense, other Sunset, but I think I prefer using my magic this way.” Her hands glow dark blue briefly, then stop.

“None taken,” replied an echoey voice on the other side of the portal.


	13. High School Can Be A Real Zoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven's attempt at regaining her bird form goes sideways when she inadvertently transforms all of Canterlot into anthropomorphic animals.

"Is there something wrong, Raven?" Gemini Shadow asked, peering concernedly at her girlfriend. The two young ladies were sitting on the long bus trip home from school, weighed down with homework.

The lavender-skinned girl shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno if anything's _wrong_ , exactly, I just feel like something's... missing, I guess."

"I'm not sure I understand," Gem admitted. "What do you mean?"

Raven bit her lip for a moment or so before answering. "It's like this... whenever I fly, I grow wings, right? But they're pegasus wings, since we're all part pony. But I don't want to fly like a pegasus, I want to fly like... well, a raven." She pulled up her phone and showed Gem a picture of a recent Halloween. "Remember when we got turned into our Halloween costumes, and I became a bird? I want to be like that again."

"But how?" Gem asked. "The Alicorn Amulet was sent back to Equestria, and you know that Princess Twilight would never let you have it back, even for a moment!"

"Yeah, I know," Raven said with a sigh. "Sunset's still helping us get used to our powers, right? Maybe she knows something that can help."

"It's possible," Gem agreed, and she wrapped her fingers around Raven's. "I'll even help you, if you want."

Raven thought this over for several minutes, but eventually shook her head. "Nah, I think I'm good," she decided. The bus pulled up outside her house, and she stood up. "See ya later, Gem! I'll text you!" She climbed off the bus and headed into her house, closing the front door behind her.

* * *

That evening, Raven sat at her desk in her bedroom, with a large book of spells in front of her. It was the very same spell book Mysterio had once used, and it had once belonged to Starswirl the Bearded, the famous unicorn sorcerer. Raven had seen the book only once before, when she had been under Mysterio's thrall. Back then, she had been completely unable to read the words on the pages, but now (according to Sunset, anyway) with all the extra Equestrian magic in her body, she could read it just like any other pony.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road," Raven said, and opened the book to the table of contents. Listed inside was practically every spell known to ponies, broken down by type. The one Raven was interested in was transformations. She flipped to the page she wanted and read aloud: "Avifors: when cast, this spell transforms the target into a bird. Should be used with extreme caution, as there is no known counterspell yet developed." The rest of the page showed the incantation, and a series of diagrams showing what would happen when the spell was cast. Unfortunately...

"Oh crap, half the page is missing!" Raven gasped. Indeed, half of the page appeared to have disintegrated long ago, meaning most of the incantation was lost.

Raven sighed, putting her head in her hands. "Dammit, dammit, dammit... the _one_ spell I need, and I can't even read half of it! Damn you Starswirl, damn you and your stupid old book!" she shouted.

"LANGUAGE!" yelled Corvus from downstairs.

Raven opened her bedroom door and sent a flock of pillows flying in the vicinity of her older brother. "Shut it! I'm trying to work!" She closed the door again. "Let's see... Sunset warned me not to cast any spell that looked incomplete, but this is the only spell I can find that will do what I want... I can't not cast it!" Her hands started to glow a deep, rich purple colour. "Let's get this over with!" She said the incantation, and there was a tremendous flash of light.

Raven's transformation was so fast, it was over before she had time to process what had just happened. Black feathers sprouted over her skin, racing down her arms, legs, and the rest of her. Her hands and feet hardened and became more like the talons of a bird. Her shoes and clothes were ripped to shreds as enormous wings sprouted from her back, and flapped. Her nose and mouth extended into a beak. Her bones became lighter and shifted to accommodate her new form. In seconds, she was no longer human, but a raven with a vaguely humanoid shape. For whatever reason, she retained her breasts, though they were obscured by feathers. The feathers on top of her head changed colour to match her hair, and her eyes were the same shade of magenta they'd always been.

Raven caught her reflection in her window and gave a happy caw. "I did it! I did it! I did it! I'm a bird again!" She gave her wings a few practice flaps, then opened her window and soared outside, flying in circles around the house. She dove down and flew through the living room window. "Hey big bro, check me... out?" Raven blinked, the room was empty. "Where'd he go?"

"In the kitchen!" called a voice. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, sis!" Raven walked into the kitchen and was surprised to find that her brother had transformed too. He was also a raven, the same species Raven was.

Raven gulped. “Uh-oh."

* * *

Gem had been reading the assigned chapters of _Huckleberry Finn_ when the city-wide flash of light went off. She, too, transformed so swiftly she barely had time to register what was going on until it was already over. She dropped her book in surprise as grey fur, the same color as her skin, sprouted all over herself. Her ears shifted, becoming feline in shape and moving to the top of her head. Her pupils changed, becoming more slit-like. Her palms developed pads, and the fingers shortened, making her hands resemble paws. She even grew claws, which were retractable. Her feet transformed too, into proper cat paws. Her nose and mouth pushed outward to form a muzzle, and whiskers grew on either side of her nose. “What the… meow!” Gem mewed, putting her paws to her face in confusion. “Why am I turning into a cat?!”

“I haven’t the faintest idea,” said Steno, in a buzzy sort of voice. He had transformed into a humanoid fly, complete with compound eyes, mouthparts, multiple arms, and of course, large transparent wings. “If it makes you feel any better, you look nice though.”

Gem smiled at that and blushed. “Thank you, Steno. You look quite handsome yourself!”

Similar transformations spouted all over town. Sunset Shimmer became a phoenix, while the Dazzlings each became 3 different types of predatory fish. Twilight was transformed into a centaur again, and Emerald became a wolf, just as she had on that Halloween night. Vinyl Scratch, to everyone’s surprise, became a [fox](http://bit.ly/2pXcH0a), Octavia became a cat too, while Longhaul was transformed into a bear.

Raven, of course, would not learn all this until the next day.

* * *

A grey-furred young feline with familiar brown hair and green eyes steps aboard Longhaul's bus. She's wearing the same blue sweater and black jeans as usual, though her heels have been discarded, since she can't really wear them with paws. When she speaks, her voice has taken on a purr-like quality. "Quite a day we had yesterday, wasn't it?" she commented casually to Longhaul. "Ooh, you're a bear! And very handsome, too! How have you been adjusting?"

Longhaul grumbled.  "Ehhh, it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for these stupid cravings."  He grabbed a pawful of trail mix and stuffed it into his mouth.  After swallowing, he remarked, "Hasn't been all bad, though...drivers seem much more polite around me for some reason."

Gem chuckled. "Probably because you could eat them for lunch if they wanted to." She sat down and folded her paws in her lap, "Last night I had more fish for dinner than I've ever had before... I found it tasted better, too!" She smiled. "Then this morning, I had a wonderful time running a brush through my fur. I don't know what caused all this, but I'm hardly going to complain about it happening. I could get used to it!" She gives her tail a happy swish. "Ooh, I can't wait to see what's become of our principals! I bet they'll look amazing!"

"Assuming they show up today," Longhaul said.  "They're usually in by the time I begin my route, but today no one's seen hide nor hair of them...no pun intended, of course."

"I'm sure they'll turn up," Gem said confidently. "There is one thing I'm wondering about though... Raven said she wanted to fly like a bird yesterday. Could there be a connection? Surely, after all we've been through, she wouldn't dare do something reckless?"

Longhaul shrugged. "You'd have to ask her, I guess.  All I know is, after seeing everything that's been going on with you girls, there's no possibility too bizarre to consider."  He turned the steering wheel and maneuvered the bus onto the school driveway.

Gem laughed. "Indeed... one day, you're a robot, the next, I'm a cat..." She climbed off the bus and kissed Longhaul's cheek. "See you later, my friend." She pads off the bus shortly thereafter.

* * *

Lunchtime was a slightly more bewildering affair than usual. The wide variety of species meant that the cafeteria staff had to prepare a much wider variety of dishes, to suit the different tastes of the animals who dined there.

Raven approached her usual table wearing a sheepish expression and holding a tray of birdseed in her talons. “Okay, so, you know how yesterday there was that big flash of light, then everyone woke up as animals?”

“How could I forget?” Emerald asked, halfway through devouring a raw steak. Her muzzle was stained with blood, it would have looked frightening if the young wolf wasn’t as friendly as a neighborhood dog. 

Twilight looked up from her hay fries. “Why do you ask?”

Raven idly scratched at her headfeathers with a talon as she sat down beside Gem. “Well, it’s kinda because I cast a incomplete spell from that book.”

Sunset looked up. “Like I told you not to?” Her tone was calm, but the glare in her eyes was obvious. The ever-present flames that licked at her feathers seemed to increase in intensity.

“Gimme a break, will ya?” Raven said loudly, raising her talons in defense. “I didn’t know this was gonna happen!”

Gem began running her paws through Raven’s feathers, attempting to calm her down. “Shh… it’s a simple mistake, my love. We can fix it.”

“No we can’t!” Raven exclaimed. “The book said there wasn’t a counterspell, we could be stuck like this for the rest of our lives!”

“I wouldn't mind,” Emerald piped up, finishing off her lunch by licking the blood off her own paws. “Being a wolf is _awesome_.”

“That book was written in the pre-classical era,” Sunset pointed out. “There have been hundreds of spells invented since then! Just because there wasn't a counter spell listed in that book doesn’t mean we’re cursed.” She grabbed her journal and a pen. “I’m gonna write to Princess Twilight, if there’s anypony who knows a lot about magic, it’s her.”

* * *

“Unfortunately, there isn’t a counter spell for the charm Raven cast,” Princess Twilight announced to the others. The eight friends were sitting together at Sunset’s house, and Princess Twilight, it seemed, was the only human amongst them, since she had not been present when the spell was cast.

“So, what can we do?” asked Raven. “I don’t wanna be a bird for the rest of my life, only sometimes!”

Princess Twilight thought this over. “I suppose I could create a necklace for you that would allow you to transform whenever you wore it,” she supposed. “But after we get you all back to normal. To do that, I’ll need some time to write a counter spell of my own.”

“How long will it take?” asked Sunset.

“At least a day or so, since I have a paper copy of the original spell to work from,” Princess Twilight replied. “I’ll get to work immediately!” She grabbed Starswirl’s book and headed upstairs.

* * *

Writing the counterspell turned out to take a lot longer than anyone had anticipated. In the week that followed, the former humans of Canterlot gradually learned to adapt to their new animal forms, but at a cost: the town had become a worldwide news story, and the rest of Earth was very eager to learn whether the city’s transformations could be recreated scientifically.

At the end of the week however, Princess Twilight gathered with the eight girls she’d come to know as friends, and announced: “The counterspell is ready for casting!”

“You know, it’s almost too bad,” Gem admitted, staring thoughtfully at her paws, and running them down her muzzle. “I’m going to miss being half cat.”

Princess Twilight smiled. “Then you’ll be pleased to learn that with Rarity’s help, I was able to create eight amulets that, when worn, will allow you to use your animal forms, and your magical abilities, all at the same time!” She opened a drawstring bag and handed eight different colored gemstones to each girl, worn on a silver chain.

Emerald gave a happy yip and wagged her tail energetically. “This is awesome, Princess Sparks! We’ll be like the characters in that book series who can morph into any animal they want, just by touching them!”

“Isn’t that the one where they have to fight a bunch of slug-like mind parasites from outer space?” Human Twilight pointed out.

Emerald blushed. “Yeah… so it’s not quite the same.”

“With that settled,” Princess Twilight interrupted, “Are you ready to go back to your old bodies?”

The eight girls huddled together for a moment, before Raven stepped out. “Yeah, we’re ready. Let’s do it.”

Princess Twilight nodded and concentrated, focusing on the powerful magic inside her. She rose into the air and ponied up, then, with her hands glowing brightly, clapped her hands once. A wave flowed across Canterlot, transforming everyone back into humans.

Coming to, Raven breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her familiar lavender-colored hands, and flexed her fingers. “What a relief… Thanks, Princess Twilight.”

Princess Twilight smiled. “It’s no problem, Raven. Just… don't do anything like this again, okay?”

Raven gave the Princess a thumbs up. “Can do.”


	14. The Rival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A girl named Moondancer comes to CHS, seeking revenge for Crystal Prep's failure at the Friendship Games.

Since coming back from Camp Everfree, Gem had organized weekly magic practice sessions so she and her friends could get a better handle on their new powers. “Alright ladies, let this week’s practice session officially begin!” Gem announced. A wide assortment of objects, most of them salvaged from the equipment lockers in the gym, floated outside, caught in a dark blue magic aura. “Twilight, pick up as many balls as you can and throw them at me!” she exclaimed. 

Twilight blinked, looking over the selection. “But Gem, some of these are soccer balls! What if you get hurt?” 

“Relax,” Gem said breezily. “My special power is time manipulation, remember? They won’t even leave a scratch on me!” 

“If you say so,” Twilight sighed, and lifted the balls into the air with her own telekinesis, then threw them at her friend. The magenta aura quickly changed to dark blue as the balls slowed down in mid-air, moving so slowly that Gem was able to step out of the line of fire without any difficulty. She released her hold, and the balls crashed into one another instead. 

Gem clapped her hands and grinned. “Excellent work, Twilight!” 

The eight friends continued in this way for the next couple hours, stopping only when Sonata announced that she had to leave for work at the town’s only taco place. As the group broke up, a cream- skinned girl who bore a very strong resemblance to Twilight ran off into the distance before anyone could spot her.

* * *

Gem and the others were sitting outside, waiting for classes to begin. “So, anyone else heard about this new student that’s starting this morning?” Raven asked the group. 

“Only that she’s another former Crystal Prepper,” Adagio replied. “She lives way up in the wealthy part of town.” 

“Hm. I’m strangely suspicious and curious at the same time,” Aria said. 

Twilight was about to say something when something caught her eye. “Um, I think that might be her,” she said to the group. 

Heads turned all over the quad to watch the white limousine slowly make its way to the front entrance of the school. 

A manservant gets out of the car first and opens a rear door. A red carpet rolls out, and out steps Moondancer, wearing a black dress, black heels, white gloves, and a superior expression on her face. She walked toward the front doors of the school, and turned to stare at the group of eight. "Well well well, if it isn't our fair city's saviours," she said, in a voice that was just as posh as Gem's, but without her warmth. "I am the Lady Moondancer, it is a pleasure to meet you all." 

"Lady Gemini Shadow, and my friends," Gem replied, sizing up the new girl. "Too good for the school bus, are we?" 

Moondancer laughed haughtily. "As if I would ever be caught dead riding in such a... pedestrian form of transportation. It's demeaning, especially to ladies of our position." 

"Not this one," Gem says coldly. 

Moondancer flashed a condescending smile. “Keeping touch with the commoners. How quaint. While I would simply love to stay and continue our little chat, I must meet with the principal and receive my classroom assignments.” Her eyes remained locked on Gem as she started towards the school building, until she turned her head with a flourish and strode purposefully through the doors. 

"I don't like this girl," Gem says immediately, once Moondancer is out of earshot. "She's exactly the sort of uptight, snooty, holier-than-thou type of person that made me leave Trottingham in the first place." 

Raven squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "Don't worry, sweetie. She's just one girl, how much trouble can she be?" 

Gem heaved a sigh. "Knowing our luck? Quite a bit." The bell rang, and the eight friends headed inside.  
***  
As it turned out, Moondancer's class schedule was identical to Gem's. Their first class was history with Ms. Harshwhinny, and by sheer happenstance, the two nobles were placed beside each other. 

"Why did you come here?" Gem asked, when Harshwhinny finished her lecture and set them to work independently. 

“I felt a bit...unfulfilled at my old school, and decided to come here to experience the wondrous academic advances that dear old Canterlot High had to offer,” Moondancer replied innocently. “And if someone as prestigious as Miss Sparkle thinks it’s a worthy venue, then how can I possibly argue with that?” She cocked her head and looked at Gem. “Surely, it’s no crime to want to better one’s self, is it?” 

"No, I suppose not," Gem admitted. "It's why I came here. Trottingham had grown stifling, and I could not grow into my true self as long as I was there. Coming to Canterlot allowed me to begin anew." 

“How wonderful,” Moondancer purred. “And, I imagine it was quite easy to bend the plebians to your will also, was it not?” 

"I did not 'bend' anyone," Gem said icily. "I befriended them. They are not drones to do my bidding, and I am not their queen. And I do wish you wouldn't call them plebians. This school is an equalizier. The well-to-do sit side by side in harmony with the working-class. Stay here long enough, and you might understand it." 

Moondancer chuckled. “It’s cute how you keep believing that everyone is equal. You’d get farther realizing that some are more equal than others.” She gave a wink and turned back to her studies.

* * *

"I wonder if it's too soon to ask Principal Celestia to change my class schedule," Gem commented to the others. The eight friends were sitting at their usual cafeteria table. Moondancer, it seemed, had an entire table to herself, and had eschewed the school lunch in favor of a private, high-class lunch prepared for her by her house staff. "If I have to listen to her tell me I'm unworthy of my title because I choose to be with you girls rather than with her any longer, I'm going to scream." 

“She doesn't seem all that horrible to me,” Sonata said, munching on a taco. 

A servant came over and tapped Twilight on the shoulder. “Miss Sparkle, Lady Moondancer would like the honor of your presence at her table today. Would you accompany me, please?” 

Twilight looked stunned. “M-me? Um...sure, I guess it’s okay,” she said hesitantly, getting up from her seat and packing her lunch. 

“Oh no, ma’am, Lady Moondancer will share her lunch with you, you may leave that here,” the servant said. “Please, come with me.” Twilight shrugged and followed the servant to Moondancer’s table. 

“See? What’s so horrible about that?” Sonata asked. 

"She'd better not try anything funny," Emerald growled, adjusting her glasses. "In fact, you know what? I'm gonna go over there and make sure she doesn't start putting those immaculate hands of hers where they don't belong." She grabbed her tray and quickly went to join her girlfriend. 

Moondancer smiled as Twilight came to join her. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Sparkle," she said, as a servant produced a second dish of Moondancer's lunch for Twilight's consumption. "Crystal Prep simply hasn't been the same without its star pupil. How have you been?" 

“I’ve been well, thank you,” Twilight said, warily eyeing Moondancer. “I’m kinda curious about what they say about me over there.” She hesitantly took a bite of lunch and was immediately overwhelmed by the flavor. “Oh my, this is delicious!” 

Emerald arrived at that moment. “Pardon me, but may I join you.” It was more request than question. “Oh...Moondancer, this is my girlfriend, Emerald Wave,” Twilight said in introduction. 

"Ah, yes, the girl who nearly jumped off the roof to make a point," Moondancer said, offering Emerald her gloved hand. 

"Until Sparks here rescued me," Emerald replied, shaking the hand warily. "We've been dating ever since." 

"How cute," Moondancer said, turning back to her lunch. "I am glad to see you are enjoying the food, Twilight. Much better than the mush they serve here, isn't it?" 

“It’s wonderful, yes,” Twilight said politely. 

“Miss Wave, I feel you should know that relations between the general population and transgender students have greatly improved since your little...incident.” Moondancer smiles. “I say that as I am living proof of that.” 

Emerald and Twilight looked at Moondancer in shock. “You’re trans?” Emerald asked quietly. “I did the full transition a couple of years ago, surgery and all,” Moondancer said with pride. 

"Lucky," Emerald comments. "You look good though. Gem and I haven't had the surgery yet. I'm saving up the money, and Gem's going to wait until after we graduate." 

"To each her own," Moondancer says diplomatically. "I am hardly one to criticize my transgender sistren for how they choose to conduct their own transitions." 

"Thanks... I think?" Emerald said slowly.

* * *

Over the next couple weeks, Moondancer had more and more of Gem's group move to her table, except Gem herself, of course. She inserted herself into Rainbow Alliance meetings, and began overtaking Gem's status as most dedicated student in Vice Principal Luna's astronomy classes. By the end of her first month, Moondancer had managed to eclipse Gem in nearly every facet of life at CHS. 

The only thing Gem had to look forward to anymore was magic practice, which would be held in the backyard of Shadowfall Manor. Gem sat outside on the front steps, waiting for her friends to arrive, looking forlorn and alone. 

Raven arrived and walked up to where Gem sat. “Hey, sweetie. Is something wrong? You look upset.” 

"I am upset," Gem replied, wrapping her arms around Raven in a hug. "I've spent the last month being pushed to the side at school. Barely anyone talks to me anymore, except for you, Longhaul, Vinyl, and Octavia... even our friends spend more time with Moondancer than they do with me." She sighed. "The truth is, I don't feel like I belong at CHS anymore. Maybe it'd be best if I transferred." She looked down at her shoes. 

“Gem, that’s nonsense and you know it.” Raven sat down next to Gem. “There’s no need for you to transfer anywhere. Besides, Moondancer isn’t as bad as you make her out to be. To hear you talk, you make her out to be Nightmare Moon back again in human form, here to torture you personally.” 

"Yeah? And how do you know?" Gem asked hotly, raising an eyebrow. "Have you noticed that our friends sit at her lunch table every day now? Or that I've seen her attempting to enter the portal to Equestria at least four times just in the last week? I almost wish she *was* Nightmare Moon, at least then we'd know how to handle her. But Moondancer's human, just like us. And no one's listening to me 

when I tell them she's not to be trusted! I can't stand it!" She glares challengingly at Raven. "If you think she's so great, then prove it to me. Right now." 

Raven looks flabbergasted. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. You, of all people, shunning someone just because of who they are.” She gets to her feet. “Maybe if you took the time to be a bit nicer to her she might have included you in her activities! Did you ever think of that? And how did you know she was trying to enter the portal instead of just looking at the statue? Not everyone that goes near the statue is trying to slip off to ponyland!” She sighs resignedly. “I’m gonna go meet the rest of the gang, Moondancer invited us to her house for a group study session. Maybe if you get over whatever prejudice you have against her, I’ll ask her if you can come over, too.” She walks back down the driveway, trying hard not to let the tears flow. 

"DON'T BOTHER!" Gem yells back. "UNTIL THAT WITCH IS OUT OF HERE, I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Losing what remained of her composure, Gem stormed inside and slammed the front doors closed, locking them shortly thereafter.

* * *

The next day, Gem storms into the school looking for Moondancer. She walks the hallways, looking into each classroom as she goes. 

An arm wraps around Gem’s shoulders and holds her tight. “Let’s have a chat,” a posh voice said, as Gem was steered down a hallway toward a seldomly-used area of the school. A hand reaches up and plucks Gem’s amulet from around her neck. “Won’t be needing that right now...after all, this is a chat between...friends.” 

"You and I have a very different definition of friends then," Gem growls, surreptitiously sliding her magic screwdriver from her pocket and gripping it tight. "Friends are people you meet honestly, not steal from under the noses of others. Not that I would expect you to know that. You've got the money, you can afford to buy all the sycophants you want!" She raises her magic screwdriver and points it at Moondancer's heart. "I'm done being nice, Moondancer. I'm done watching you take away my friends, I'm done watching you destroy everything I've built here. Give me my amulet this instant, or I'll have to do something I'll regret. Do I make myself clear?" 

Moondancer chuckles, then laughs, beginning to pace around Gemini. “Now now, my dear, there’s no need for violence. I assure you, you will get your precious amulet back. Now, let’s stop and think about what you are threatening to do. I turn up dead, and all fingers point to you. Everyone in this school knows your history with me...and in general. ‘Oh no, Gem’s killed another one, she’s become a menace!’ This time, it’ll be prison. I know you don’t want that, but if you’re so bent on destroying the mean old, evil Moondancer...” She stopped in front of Gem and placed the tip of the screwdriver against her chest, “...go ahead. Kill me.” 

Gem lowered the screwdriver and sighed, "I wasn't going to kill you, Moondancer, just knock you out... but what's the point? You'll manage to incriminate me anyway, and then I'll just be playing into your hands." The fight leaves her. "You've won. Congratulations. Now leave me alone." She walks away, or tries to, looking beaten. 

“Of course I won, dear,” Moondancer gloated, “only because people like you make it so damn easy to do so. Now, if you’ll pardon me, I believe that, as the victor, I shall now reap the spoils. Cheers.” She walks away, leaving Gem in the dimly-lit hallway.

* * *

"Gemini Shadow, please report to Principal Celestia's office," came the announcement, while Gem was sitting in math class. Looking thoroughly bewildered, Gem got up and left her classroom, walking down the hall and into the principal's office. "You sent for me, ma'am?" she asked, unable to disguise the note of fear in her voice. Remembering the last time she'd been summoned here, she checked around for cops. 

“Sit down, please.” Celestia’s voice was hard and cold. “It’s come to my attention that you have been harassing Miss Moondancer, our newest student. I must admit, this is something I’d never have expected from you, Gemini. What do you have to say for yourself?” 

Gem looks utterly thunderstruck. "Principal Celestia, please! Surely, after everything this school has been through, you can trust my judgement? Who was it that saved the school from Sunset's reign of terror, or stopped the sirens from gaining their powers back? I knew Moondancer was bad news from the moment I laid eyes on her, and nothing she's done since has changed my view in any way!" 

“Gem, I believe you’re overreacting,” Celestia replied. “In fact, she was in here not too long ago telling me how you threatened her life. Given your past history, this is not something I’m going to take lightly. Are you sure you’re not under the influence of some magical power, like you were before, that’s putting these thoughts and actions into your head?” 

"I assure you I am completely rational," Gem replies, knowing that response would do nothing to curb Celestia's suspicions but saying it anyway. "Honestly! First Raven accuses me of discrimination, and now I have you thinking I'm possessed by dark magic! Again! And it's all thanks to Moondancer, sowing doubt into the minds of others with a well-placed word! Please, ma'am, why are you choosing to believe her word over mine? Haven't I earned your trust?" 

“Gem, your actions are causing me to doubt your intentions, especially since these are so out of character for you.” Celestia sighed. “Gem, I have very little choice in this matter. Consider this an official warning. If I hear of any more problems between you and Moondancer, I am going to recommend that you transfer to a different school. Perhaps Crystal Prep might better suit you. I can arrange the transfer through Principal Cadance if need be.” The bell rang, signaling the end of the current period. “You are dismissed, and remember what I’ve said.” 

Gem leaves, too shocked to reply. Once outside, she imagines herself being separated from her friends for good, and cries, wandering off to an abandoned hallway.

* * *

"You simply must excuse me for being late for our daily luncheon, girls," Moondancer said, rejoining the other seven at their table. "There was a little... issue I needed to deal with. Rest assured, however, Gemini Shadow will no longer be a threat to our little group." Gem's amulet bounced a little off her chest as she walked. "She did give me this beautiful necklace... isn't it gorgeous?" 

The other girls, Raven especially, looked at the amulet with trepidation. “H-how did you get that from Gem?” Sonata asked. “She’d never give that up without a fight.” 

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, Sonata," Moondancer replied, stroking the amulet with her fingers. "All that matters is that I have it now! Surely you'd agree that's a much better proposition." 

“I...I suppose so,” Sonata said meekly. 

* * *

“Vinyl, are you sure you heard something down here?” Octavia asked as the two walked down toward the unused portion of the school. “Perhaps it’s just some stray cat or something or...” They both stopped and listened to what sounded like sobbing noises. 

“Tavi, that’s no cat. Come on,” Vinyl insisted, tugging Octavia along.  
The two came upon Gem, seated on the floor, knees drawn up to her chest, sobbing quietly. Cautiously, the two approached. “Gem? What happened?” Octavia asked softly. 

"Leave me be, Octavia," Gem said into her knees, crying still. "If I tell you about Moondancer, you'll react just like everyone else has... you'd never believe me, and then you'd scamper off to inform the rest of the school about how horrible a person I am!" She cried harder. 

Octavia and Vinyl sat on each side of Gem and hugged her tight. “Gem, you’re our friend. We would never leave you in a time like this. Clearly, something terrible has happened between you and that Moondancer girl, so let us help you if we can.” 

“Yeah, we totally got your back on this,” Vinyl agreed. “I never trusted that chick anyway, she seemed to be up to something.” 

"Finally, someone who understands!" Gem hugs them both back tight. "She's taken away my friends, undermined my authority as president of the Rainbow Alliance, she even took my amulet just now, the one I got at camp... I tried to stop her, but what's the use? She'll just weasel her way out of it." She shakes her head. "I don't know what you *can* do... she has me beat. There's nothing I can do to stop her." 

“Not by yourself, anyhow,’ Octavia stated. “Look, let’s all meet up tonight and brainstorm something. Vinyl, do you still have those...contacts of yours at Crystal Prep?” 

Vinyl nodded. “Way ahead of you. I already have them digging into this Moondancer’s background.”

“So, Gem,” Octavia asked, “could we come over tonight and save the school once again?” 

Gem smiled. "Of course you can, girls. I look forward to it!"

* * *

That night, Gem bustles around Shadowfall, making sure everything is ready for Vinyl and Octavia's visit. Snacks are put out, non-alcoholic drinks are prepared, brainstorming music even plays on the stereo. Finally, when she can do no more, she claps her hands once. "Okay, I think I'm ready!" And just to spice things up, she'd even called Carrie. "I hope that experimental transporter of hers works... I'd hate for her to get disassembled into atoms..." 

Then there came a knock at the door. "Coming!" Gem exclaimed, heading over to the door and opening it. "Ah! Vinyl! Octavia! You came! Welcome!" She smiled and moved aside to allow them entrance. 

"Nice place, Gem," Vinyl commented, looking around the manor. Further conversation was interrupted by a flash of light, and Gem's cousin Carrie appeared in the room, right in Octavia's arms. 

Octavia squealed. "Who... who are you?!" she asked, nearly dropping Carrie in surprise. 

Carrie got up and dusted herself off. "I'm Carrie, Gem's cousin," she explained. "Scientific extraordinaire!" 

“I... see.” Octavia nodded, adjusting her bowtie. “Will you be able to help us with our current predicament?” 

Carrie grinned. “Oh yeah, this shouldn’t be a problem. I’m an old hat at helping Gem with magical problems.” She looked over at Gem. “What do you have in mind, cousin?” 

“Well, we know that Moondancer can’t be allowed to access the magic contained in my amulet,” Gem replied, beginning to pace. “We already know she’s been busy sweeping the school with the force of her personality alone, add my magic into the equation and the results could be disastrous.” 

“But how can we get it back?” Vinyl asked. “There’s no way she’ll let any of us get close enough to snatch it!” 

“I’ve got an idea,” Gem replied. “I call it: Operation Covfefe.” She takes out a second amulet and puts it on. In a flash of light, she has transformed into a humanoid cat girl. 

Carrie blinked. “Cousin, how is spontaneously transforming into a cat going to get your amulet back?” 

“I’m getting there!” Gem continued. “Carrie, I need you to build me a switch for this amulet, so I can change into a traditional cat. Everyone likes cute animals, so if I turn into one and distract everybody with my concentrated cuteness, Vinyl and Octavia will be able to swipe my amulet from her without her noticing!” 

Octavia and Vinyl exchanged a look, then turned back to Gem. “I don’t even know where to begin,” Octavia said. 

Gem sighed and took off the new necklace, the fight leaving her as suddenly as a spring storm. "It's too complicated, isn't it?" She tosses the amulet into the nearest couch. "Could it be I'm just going crazy? Maybe the girls were right all along, and Moondancer really isn't as bad as I think." 

The three girls surrounded Gem and wrapped their arms around her. “No, sweetie, it’s not that,” Octavia said first. “Truth be told, I don’t trust that Moondancer girl either, and from what Vinyl has learned from her, ahem, shadier contacts at Crystal Prep, there’s good reason. It’s just that...well, maybe this whole cat plan isn’t the way to go.” 

Carrie took the amulet from Gem. “Neat amulet, but I wonder where it came from, never mind if I could modify it.” She turned it around in her hands, studying the construction. 

Vinyl was the last to speak. “Gem, dudette, I love ya like a sister, but lemme tell you, don’t use that C- word again. It’s beneath you. It’s something a toddler would make up on the spur of the moment, and hearing it come from your lips makes me irrationally angry ‘cuz you’re better than that. ‘Kay?” She produced a tablet and started scrolling through it. “Now then, as Tavi was saying, this chick is bad news all around. About three-quarters of the school breathed a sigh of relief when she left. She ran the place like her own little dictatorship, with her chosen cronies in charge of doing her dirty work.” 

"It's Princess Twilight's creation," Gem explains to Carrie, before turning back to Vinyl. "If what you say is true, then it seems as though she's spent the last few weeks rebuilding that dictatorship here, tearing me down first. But what could she possibly want with my amulet? She doesn't know how to work it! It may not even work for her at all!" She swipes down Vinyl's tablet screen, diving further into Moondancer's history. 

“Probably not,” Carrie answered, setting the cat amulet down, “because it’s highly likely she has no magic whatsoever inside her. On the flip side of that, she could turn into a demoness and attempt to enslave all of us.” She turned to Vinyl, who was about to say something. “Yes, again. So, it is important that we get that amulet back before any destructive potential is realized.” 

“We can’t do it at the school,” Octavia reasoned, “simply because one more disciplinary incident and Gem gets shipped out to Crystal Prep. It’s my belief that her arrival would not be met with civility and adulation.” 

“Yeah, they might try to gang up on her, too,” Vinyl added. 

"I know I don't want to go to Crystal Prep," Gem mutters, shivering at the mere thought of putting on that dreadful uniform. "But even if we deal with her outside of school, what's stopping her from telling the Sisters on us anyway?" 

“She can say all she wants, but if it happened off school property, they can’t do anything about it,” Octavia explained. 

“Besides, we’ll have backup,” Vinyl said with a grin. “Seems there’s one group in particular that would love to tear Miss Sanctimonius down a few pegs for what she’s put them through.” Vinyl stopped her scrolling. “And I don’t know what kind of BS she fed Emerald, but I know if Em knew the truth, she’d be with us handing out torches and pitchforks. Here’s why.” She pointed to the screen. 

All of the girls craned their necks to see what Vinyl was pointing at. There, glowing brightly on the screen, was a scan of Moondancer’s birth certificate. And there, in the box for gender, was one simple word: “Female.” 

“You mean, she’s been lying about being trans the whole time?” Gem asked, incredulous. 

Vinyl feigned shock. “Oh noes, Moondancer told a fib to get even with that big meanie Gemini! Whatever shall we dooooooooo?” Vinyl resumed her usual demeanor. “Seems she’s been the one that’s been instigating the anti-LGBT movement at Prep. From the shadows, of course, never personally involved...or at least no one can prove she’s involved.” 

"It explains so much!" Gem realizes. "I never found any of the usual tells you get with girls like me and Emerald, and now I know why... ooh, this makes me want to put an end to her once and for all! How dare she co-opt something that forms part of who I am to pursue a hate-fuelled agenda!" She grabs a jacket Raven bought her the previous Christmas and declares, "Girls, let's go put an end to Moondancer's reign of terror." She marches toward the door with renewed determination. 

Octavia’s and Carrie’s stomachs chose that moment to rumble loudly. “Um, cousin, maybe we could eat first and formulate an attack plan before we go charging off into the unknown?” Carrie asked. 

Gem stops and blushes, "Yes, I suppose we should... luckily, I have snacks!" 

The girls eagerly crowded round the snack table, and after helping themselves, began to put their plan into action.

* * *

You Don’t Know Beans was perhaps the most upscale coffee house in Canterlot. It was also where Moondancer held court during her days at Crystal Prep. Snooty baristas wearing black turtlenecks and perpetually bored expressions prepared criminally expensive coffee drinks for upscale, snobbish people. 

Gem and the other three sat at a table near the back of the store. “Are you sure that Moondancer will know that we’re here?” Gem whispered. “It’s not like we advertised our plans to come here.” 

Vinyl sipped her coffee and made a face. “Ugh, burnt and bitter. Much like the clientele.” She grinned. “Oh, Moonie knows we’re here, all right. In fact, she should be here right about... now.” 

The doors burst open and Moondancer stood in the entryway, angrily scanning the store, until her eyes locked on Gem and her friends. She strode over to the table, her expression murderous. “So. Care to explain why you’re in my territory, and why you’re sitting at my table?” she spat.

Gem grinned. “Sorry, I didn’t see your name etched anywhere on it...oh, wait, I feel something under here. Ah yes, here it is: ‘Heartless Bitch.’ My apologies.” Gem smiled sweetly. “Actually, it was the best way to get your attention.” 

“Okay, you have it, so talk fast before I have you removed as troublemakers,” Moondancer sneered. 

“Okay, let’s lay our cards on the table,” Gem said, rising. “We didn’t know each other before you transferred to Canterlot High, and yet you’ve taken it upon yourself to destroy me and drive a wedge between me and the entire school. Why?” 

"I want your magic," Moondancer growls, holding up Gem's amulet. "I've watched you and that little group of sycophants of yours, casting spells and lording it over the rest of the school about how 'special' you are." She makes air-quotes with her fingers. "And that's not all... you remember the Friendship Games just as well as I do. Your school only won because Twilight Sparkle took your magic from you, and now I'm here to do the same, but only to *you.*" She grabs Gem's shirt collar and pushes her up against the wall. "I've read all about those little adventures you've had, Gemini... and I've determined that the only thing standing in the way of me FINALLY delivering to Crystal Prep the revenge it has sought for so long is you. So I'm taking you out of the picture, one way or another." 

Gem shrugs off Moondancer’s grip as Carrie and Vinyl flank Gem. Carrie pushes her way into Moondancer’s gaze. “I think you better think twice about laying your hands on my cousin before I go back in time and erase your entire bloodline from existence,” she snarled. 

Vinyl gave a nudge and wink to Gem. “We’re also guessing that the only reason you haven’t completely removed Gem from the picture is you’re too stupid to make the amulet you stole from her work.” 

“Watch who you’re calling stupid, note-head,” Moondancer snapped at Vinyl, causing Octavia’s face to redden with anger. 

“You have to charge the amulet at the portal before it will work,” Vinyl said calmly. “Look, meet us at the statue in front of Canterlot High in one hour. You’ll learn everything you need to know.” 

Moondancer huffed. “Fine. No tricks. One hour.” She stormed out, but not before grabbing a cup of coffee the barista had placed on the counter for her. 

Octavia and the others watched her leave. “”I personally think she should switch to decaf.” 

"Agreed," say the other three girls in unison.

* * *

Moondancer steps off the city bus and approaches the portal, kneeling down in front of it. She takes off the amulet and, not wanting to wait until the others arrived and certainly not trusting them as far as she could throw them, holds the amulet against the stone, waiting for something to happen. 

Raven comes out of the school building with her guitar case and spots Moondancer by the portal, and kneels down beside her. "What are you up to, Moonie? Recharging my GF's special stone before you give it back to her?" 

“Um, yeah,” Moondancer says, not taking her eyes off the amulet or the statue. “I’m charging it up before I give it to her.” 

“You really are an impatient, bossy thing, aren’t you?” Moondancer diverts her gaze long enough to see Gem, Carrie, Octavia, and Vinyl standing and watching. Along with them are a group of students that Moondancer recognizes from Crystal Prep. 

Pulling the amulet away from the stone, Moondancer holds it in front of her like a shield. “Just getting a head start. Should have enough of a charge to do something to you!” She closes her eyes tight and concentrates, the amulet shaking in her grasp. After a minute, she opens her eyes. Nothing happened, except now there are more students watching, as Sunset, Twi and Emerald, and the Dazzlings have joined Raven. 

"You don't have any magic in you, Moondancer," Gem shouts, as storm clouds gather over the scene, with Gem, Vinyl, Tavi, Carrie, and the Crystal Prep girls on one side, and Moondancer and the other Rubies on the other side. "It's not the amulet that gives me power... I've always had magic inside of me, the amulet just woke it up!" Her hands glow blue. "And you can't take that away from me!" Then the amulet lights up, still resting in Moondancer's palm. 

“What—what the heck’s going on here?” Sunset asked, as her own amulet started to glow. Soon, all of the Rubies’ amulets were glowing. 

“Moondancer wanted only one thing: to destroy Gem in revenge for Canterlot High beating Crystal Prep in the Friendship Games!” Octavia announced. “And she almost did it, too. All because the rest of you were so taken in by her act, you helped to ruin Gem’s reputation in this school!” 

“We should know,” one of the Crystal Prep students added. “She’s been trying to get rid of the LBGT community at Prep for years now!” 

Emerald looked stunned. “But—but she’s trans too!” 

“Is that what she told you?” Vinyl asked. “Funny, because her certified birth certificate says she was born female.” 

Gem’s amulet leaves Moondancer’s hand and floats back to Gem. 

"NO!" Moondancer yells, grabbing the amulet as it floats away and smashing it into the sidewalk, stomping on it with her boot. There's a noise of rock being smashed into dust. "I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE, AND THERE WILL BE NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!" The raw magic contained inside the former amulet drifts through the air and into Moondancer's body. Newly invigorated, she grabs the amulets of the other Rubies and smashes them too, and their magic drifts into her. Eight different kinds of magic roil and burn inside Moondancer, and she begins to transform. In moments, she strongly resembles Midnight Sparkle, though with a different color scheme. 

Moondancer flaps her wings and claps her hands, creating an energy ball. "YOUR TIME IS UP, GEMINI SHADOW," she thunders. "PREPARE TO DIE!" She throws the ball with all her might. 

The energy ball stopped in mid-air, inches from where Gem and the rest stood. “You know, I may have had some practice defeating evil she-demons in my time,” she quipped to the Crystal Prep students. “No offense, of course,” she said to Sunset and Twilight. 

“None taken,” the two responded in unison. 

A shimmering green-tinted shield manifested around the Crystal Prep students. Emerald had joined the group, throwing up a shield to protect them. “I’ve got this, you all get Moondancer!” she yelled. 

"On it!" Gem shouts, joining hands with all of her friends: Raven, Sunset, Adagio, Aria, Sonata, Twilight, Vinyl, Octavia, and Carrie, all of whom rise into the air and pony up. 

"The problem with you megalomaniacs," Gem shouts at Moondancer over the wind that has sprung up, "is that you cannot comprehend good! You do not understand what being good means! What the magic of friendship can do! Ruling by fear does not breed respect, it breeds contempt! Only by ruling wisely and well can you hope to accomplish your goals!" She locks eyes with Moondancer. "I pity you... all of this, because you completely misunderstood the situation." 

"I DO NOT NEED YOUR PITY!" Moondancer snarls. "WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE?" 

"Because the world needs me," is all Gem replies, before a rainbow of many colors forms, hitting Moondancer in the face and sending her careening into the distance, specifically, the direction of Crystal Prep. The wind dies down, and the girls touch ground again. 

Raven is the first to approach Gem. “Um, yeah...I don’t know if me saying sorry is gonna cut it this time...” 

"You don't need to," Gem says softly, kissing her beloved on the lips briefly. "Because I already accept. We've been through too much to get separated by that... that... ruffian." She smiles. "I still love you, Raven. Promise." 

“Y-you still love the rest of us too, right?” Sonata asked, eyes wide and shining, bottom lip quivering. 

"Of course I do, Sonata," Gem replies, hugging the blue siren, and everyone else, in turn. When the hugging is done, she approaches the Crystal Prep students. "Now, I know our two schools haven't always seen eye to eye... and I can't leave CHS to go and improve yours... but do you all think you have what it takes to apply the lessons you've learned here today?" she asks them, in her best teacher voice. 

“We actually have a request,” one of the students says, the same one that spoke up earlier. “Vinyl told us about your Rainbow Alliance group, and...we were wondering if we might have permission to start a chapter at Crystal Prep?” 

Gem smiles. "You have more than permission, you have my full-throated support! Octavia is our outreach chair, she can help you get started!" She practically bounces up and down from excitement. "Good luck, all of you!" 

The two groups gather around and begin talking. Carrie pulls Gem aside and says, “Cuz, you’re still not bummed out about the whole cat thing, are you?” 

Gem blinks and shakes her head. "Not... really? Why do you ask?" 

Carrie smiles. “Just checkin’. Let me look at that amulet before I leave and I’ll see if I can put a switcher on it.” 

"Sure!" Gem nods exuberantly, and leaves the others to their plans.

* * *

One month later, a grey-furred cat with bright green eyes and a few tufts of brown atop her head and at the tip of her tail pads through the front doors of Crystal Prep and down the hall, wearing a strange device around her neck. The little cat keeps walking, ears perked for any sound of human speech. 

The hallways are fairly busy at this time of day, and students move quickly between classes. No one seems to notice the little feline weaving through the crowd. One girl with cat allergies sneezes, but attributes it to the cat fur on a passing student’s clothing. 

She finds the room she wants and pads inside, happy she remembered the room number. Hopping onto a desk chair, she adjusts a control on her device with a slight movement of her paw, and transforms back into a human girl. Gem crosses her legs and makes herself comfortable, looking distinctly out of place in her CHS uniform. 

The student at the front of the room stops speaking upon noticing Gem, and smiles. “Ah, I didn’t see you come in. Students of the Rainbow Alliance, I’d like you to welcome the group’s founder, direct from Canterlot High School...Gemini Shadow!” The room bursts forth in applause. 

Gem rises and takes a bow, smiling. "Greetings, Crystal Preppers! I come before you today to wish you all the best of luck! The Rainbow Alliance's chief mission will always be to act as a sanctuary, anywhere in the world! That your school has chosen to establish a chapter of its own fills me with pride!" She sits back down again. "The floor is yours, Ms. Golden Harvest!" 

* * *

When the meeting ends, the small grey feline leaves CHS and heads over to where she'd discovered Moondancer's house was, not that it was hard to miss. She leaps through an open window and finds herself in Moondancer's room, and checks for signs of life. 

Moondancer sits at her desk, surrounded by books. Each one is written on the subject of practical physics and magical theory. She moves from book to book, highlighting sentences and paragraphs as she goes. “I’ll figure you out yet, Gemini Shadow, and when I do, you’ll regret the day we crossed paths!” she angrily mutters to herself. 

The cat sighs audibly and pounces onto Moondancer's desk, speaking in Gem's voice. "So none of what I said to you before got through to you, did it?" 

“GAH!!” Moondancer screamed, jumping away form the desk and staring at the cat. “Oh, come on, don’t tell me you can do transformation magic too!” 

"As it turns out, yes I can! It's a long story." She adjusts a control and is human again. "Let's talk, you and I. Girl to girl. No lies, no tricks, no attempted murder, just talk." She sits beside Moondancer and asks her one simple question: "When was the last time you had a friend?" 

Moondancer snorted. “Hmph! I have lots of friends! Why, at Crystal Prep they practically worship me!” 

"I mean a *real* friend," Gem insists. "Someone you didn't have to intimidate into liking you. Someone who hung out with you because they genuinely wanted to spend time with you. When was the last time you experienced that?" 

Moondancer thought for a moment. “Well, there was that...no, but what about...hm. Or was it...dammit, I don’t think there ever was a time when that happened.” 

"And that is why I pity you," Gem replies, staring sadly at Moondancer. "You remind me so much of myself... what I could've been, if I was as cold and friendless as you are now. No one deserves to feel that pain, not even you." She offers the other girl her hand. "Will you accept my friendship? I can't make up for what you've lost... but I can give you the chance to start anew." 

Moondancer glared at Gem as if she was just offered a glass of raw sewage. “I didn’t ask you to come here. I don’t want your pity, your sympathy, or your friendship. I was doing just fine before I knew about you, and I’ll continue to do just fine. Leave my home now, before I have you arrested for trespassing.” 

Gem sighed, retracting her hand. "On your head be it, then." She transforms again and leaps out the window, heading back toward her own home. 

With a groan, Moondancer swept the books from her desk. “Why am I even wasting my time on her?” she asked herself. She went to her bed and laid down, staring at the ceiling. 


	15. Dog Sees God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On June 22nd 2017, I had to put my puppy down. This is something I (Christa) wrote the next morning, to get through the pain.

Emerald had been in 8th grade when her family had decided to adopt a dog. Her parents had been working on President O’s first campaign, and met a family who owned a Corgi. It had been decided, however, that a Corgi wasn’t the kind of dog they’d want.

As it turned out, there was another dog at the St. Francis society they could get. She was a rescue dog, and had been found wandering St. Luna after being abandoned by some farmers. She was called Patches, and she had white fur with spots of tan. She was, allegedly, a Jack Russell/Shih-tzu mix, and Emerald nicknamed her Shawshank Redemption, since she tried to escape nearly a dozen times in the first week.

As the years passed, Emerald’s attachment to the dog grew and grew. Whenever she came home from school, there Patches would be to say hello greeting her with a wagging tail and tiny little squeaking noises.

Emerald smiled and ran her pale yellow fingers through the puppy’s fur. “Hey there puppy,” she said, letting the dog lick the fingers of her other hand. “I’m glad to see you too!”

* * *

Patches had been an utterly loyal companion to Emerald. When she had begun questioning her identity and dressing as female in private, only Patches had been witness to the outfits Emerald bought for herself. She’d hold little fashion shows for the dog, who would bark at the outfit she liked best. When Emerald came out to her parents, Patches alone was the only person who didn't act like she’d been betrayed, for she loved Emerald just as much as Emerald loved her.

When Emerald moved in with the Sparkles, she took Patches with her, and she got a playmate in the form of Twilight’s dog, Spike. Patches became a source of joy not only for Emerald, but for Twilight too, and the rest of their friends at CHS. Gem would periodically come visit disguised as a cat, and would play with the dogs without them realising who she really was.

In time however, things began to change. Emerald moved to Manehattan, and dogs weren't allowed in the apartment complex. Twilight’s mother, Velvet, began taking pictures of Patches every few days so Emerald could see what she was up to. This went on for 4 years.

After Twilight’s college graduation, it became clear to everyone that Patches was growing older. Though she still looked and acted like a puppy, her apparent youthfulness belied a terrible truth: she was getting sick.

A trip to the vet one day revealed the extent of her illness: she had nodules on her liver, which were quite possibly cancerous. Fluid had built up in her abdominal region, and had spread to her lungs, making it difficult for her to breathe. Though Emerald and Twilight did everything they could for Patches, in the end, there was nothing more they could do. A text went out to the others girls: “We’re having Patches put down.”

The exam room at the vet clinic wasn't meant to hold 9 people and a dog, but they managed. Sonata, Aria, Adagio, Sunset, Raven, and Gem had come as quickly as they could, and each girl took turns petting the dog and saying their goodbyes. Soon though, the doctor came with the anaesthetic and the drug that would euthanise Patches. 

“Sweet dreams, little princess,” whispered Emerald, kissing Patches’ head one last time. The doctor administered the drug, and within 30 seconds, the puppy was dead. He took the body away, and as the door closed behind him, Emerald buried her head in Twilight’s shoulder, crying harder than she ever had before. “I’M SORRY!” she yelled, her voice choked with tears.

That night, after a quiet car ride home, Emerald did the only thing that made sense to her: she plugged in her guitar and began to play a [song](https://youtu.be/rhHNzNO17UM). As she played she continued to cry, even howling in grief for the loss of her loyal friend.

* * *

Emerald walked across the rainbow bridge, hands in pockets, restored to teenage youthfulness. Many, many years had passed since that terrible night in the vet’s office, and she had finally succumbed to old age herself. As she crossed the bridge, she held Twilight’s hand, kissing her cheek.

Twilight suddenly gasped and pointed. “Emerald, look!”

Emerald looked, and saw the happiest sight she could have ever imagined: two dogs came running toward the girls. One, who was purple and green in color, leapt into Twilight’s arms and licked her face, making her laugh.

“Patches!” Emerald cheered, picking up the white and tan dog that was now, as she had in life, jumping up and down on her hind legs and squeaking madly. Patches licked Emerald’s fingers, and allowed herself to be held.

“I missed you, little pup,” Emerald said, kissing Patches’ head. “Now we can be together. Forever.” And with that in mind, Emerald, Patches, Twilight, and Spike crossed the rest of the bridge, and walked on into the great beyond. 


	16. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based upon a story by Katie Cook. Gem and Sunset travel to an alternate universe, where they meet a good version of Sombra and evil versions of Celestia and Luna.

Sunset and Gemini left the Canterlot Cafe, their backpacks laden with papers, folders, and laptops. The sun was going down, and the two girls had recently completed a busy afternoon of working on homework. “I think I really like our paper topic for Dr. Turner’s class,” Sunset commented as they walked.

“So do I,” Gem agreed, smiling. “The multiverse theory is fascinating on its own, but we have the means to prove it!”

Sunset laughed. “No kidding.” She thought for a moment. “Let’s see… you and I have visited the robot pony universe, that one version of CHS where you, Raven, Emerald, and the Dazzlings were never students…”

“And we’ve glimpsed worlds of fully robotic humans and anthropomorphic ponies,” Gem added, counting each one off on her fingers.

“And we’ll have to visit all of those worlds again,” Sunset finished. “After all, we need evidence that we’re not making things up.”

“Right,” Gem agreed. “But how are we supposed to _get_ to any of them?”

“We’ll work that one out later,” Sunset decided. “We can definitely write about Equestria… first of all…” She trailed off. A grey-skinned man in a suit and fedora had approached them as they reached a crosswalk. His expression was blank.

“You are Gemini Shadow and Sunset Shimmer,” he said, not asking for confirmation. “There is more than one of everything.” He left.

Gem watched him go, confused. “Who was that? And where did he go?”

"Search me,” Sunset said, and the light turned green, allowing the girls to cross safely, not that there was much traffic out tonight.

As they approached Canterlot High, Vice Principal Luna met them near the soccer field. “Good evening Miss Shimmer, Miss Shadow,” she said. “May I enquire as to why you two are on school grounds at such a late hour?”

“We’re just on our way home, Miss Luna,” Gem promised her, smiling. “We've spent all afternoon working on a project for our science class.”

“I see.” Luna nods. “Well, at least it is a beautiful night to not be banished to…” She was cut off by a flash of blue-white light. “What was that?!”

“It sounded like the portal!” Sunset exclaimed, and ran as fast as she could toward the front of the school, with Gem and Luna following along behind. They arrived just in time to see a light magenta leg clad in violet pants and a soft orange shoe disappear through the stone pedestal and out of sight.

“SISTER! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!” Luna shouted, but nothing happened.

“Why would she go through?” Gem wondered, putting a hand to her chin.

“I can't imagine, but it looks like we’ll have to follow her,” Sunset said. “Do you want to come with us, Miss Luna?”

Luna nodded at once. “Of course I will come with you, Miss Shimmer. After everything this school has seen since you girls arrived, watching my sister vanish through a dimensional portal is just another item on the list of strange things that I’ve seen.”

Sunset nodded. “Alright. Just be careful, when we go through, you’re going to become a pony. Gem and I will help you get used to it.” She stepped through, and Gem and Luna followed along in her wake.

* * *

Luna felt the curious sensation of being warped and transformed as she flew through space and time. When the journey ended, she climbed unsteadily onto her back legs, and inspected the hooves that had replaced her hands. “It is a good thing you warned me that I would change, Miss Shimmer,” she said. “Or else I might have been quite disturbed.” 

Gem, who had become a unicorn along with Sunset, helped her down onto all fours. “If it makes you feel any better, your pony form suits you quite a bit,” she said. And it was true: Luna’s pony form was similar to her human one, she had the same hard and soft blue hair she’d always had, and her fur was the same light grayish blue as her skin. She was built like her royal counterpart, though while she lacked wings, she did have a horn. Her cutie mark was of a magenta folder with a crescent moon on the front.

“I would say the same about yours, Miss Gemini,” Luna said, smiling slightly. She took a few tentative steps forward, unused to four legs. “May I ask where we are?”

“Twilight’s mirror room,” Sunset said at once. “That is, Princess Twilight’s mirror room. She keeps it locked away in here so nopony can break in and go through without permission.”

“Unless you’re Sunset or myself,” Gem added, unlocking the door with her magic and stepping through. She was greeted with an astonishing sight: a tall, pale-magenta furred mare with pink, blue, and green hair was being held in the combined telekinesis of two guards in purple armor, with stars on their chests. 

Principal Celestia waved a hoof shyly. “This… isn’t what it looks like, Lulu,” she said weakly.

Luna frowned. “Nay, Tia, I believe this is exactly what it looks like.”

“Gentlecolts,” interrupted Gem, looking over at the two guardsponies, “May I ask why you have our principal held in your magical auras?”

“We received an indication of an unauthorized activation of the Earth-Equestria portal, Lady Gemini,” said the second guard. “When we went to investigate, we found this mare attempting to enter a second experimental portal, with this scroll by her side.” He held out a tightly wrapped scroll in his hoof.

“I see,” Gem said thoughtfully. “Has Princess Twilight been informed?”

“I certainly have,” said a familiar voice. Princess Twilight strode into the hallway near the mirror room, her tiara resting on her head. She looked distinctly unamused. “I want to know exactly what’s been going on here,” she barked. “I’ve had a very stressful week, and the last thing I need is for somepony to be making unauthorized cross-dimensional trips!”

“I’ll explain everything, I promise,” Celestia said. She recognized this mare was the former princess of the fall formal, but even she could tell that she was no mere teenager.

“Very well,” Twilight replied. “Guards, release her. You can all follow me to my office.” The guards let Celestia go, and Twilight led the four humans toward her office.

* * *

“It’s like this,” Celestia began. “Shortly after Sunset Shimmer met her defeat at your hands,” she gestured vaguely with a hoof toward Twilight, “I was curious about this strange new form of energy that she had brought over from this world. We humans are a naturally inquisitive species, and after seeing what you, Sunset, Miss Shadow, and Miss Sable had done with your powers, I wanted to learn all that I could.”

“In the name of protecting our students, of course,” Luna added.

Celestia nodded. “Right. Unfortunately, I was unable to investigate as often as I would like. Being a principal carries with it an enormous amount of paperwork after all, and I have always been a bit of a… workaholic, if you will. It was only after the Dazzlings came to school that I realized I was able to go through the portal as easily as you had.”

“That was my idea,” Twilight explained. “After the sirens were defeated, Sunset contacted me and suggested I build a device that would allow me to go through the portal outside of its usual 30-moon cycle. Hence, the mirror room. You were saying?”

Celestia continued. “Once I got here, I tried to blend in. I called myself Solis, and explained my resemblance to your Princess Celestia by suggesting that I was a distant, semi-identical cousin. I took refuge in your Canterlot’s library and began my research. I even took a few books back with me so I could read in the privacy of my own home.”

“And what did you learn?” Twilight asked.

Celestia smiled slightly. “So much… let me see…” She rummaged through her saddlebags and pulled out a notebook with a sun on the front cover, and flipped to a page, all with her magic. Her aura was light purple, rather than the gold of her alicorn counterpart. “The great wizard Starswirl the Bearded developed a mirror that, when activated, would allow the user to traverse between different realities at will. It was apparently a prototype of the mirror that now connects my world to this one.” 

She flipped a page. “The last time the mirror was used, the world it led to was rather like my own, but like Equestria as well. The dominant species was humans, but they were… different. Some had wings, and some had horns, while others were capable of feats of great strength. When I was there, I met the most wonderful woman… her name was Sombra.” She smiled fondly, using the tone of voice one would use to recall an old crush.

Twilight looked astonished. “Sombra?! Wonderful? But that’s impossible! He’s not a mare! And he’s dead, second of all, and third of all, he wasn’t even a pony! He was an Umbrum, and used his dark powers to enslave the Crystal Ponies!”

“Alternate universe, Twilight,” Gem interrupted, raising a hoof. “Sombra can be a good person if she wants to be. And a girl, too.” She coughed meaningfully into her hoof.

Twilight blushed, embarrassed. “Yes... um… please continue, Celestia.”

“In that world, Sombra is a queen, a kind and wonderful ruler of her subjects,” Celestia said. “We visited many times… many, many times. But tonight was not supposed to be a pleasure visit… I received word from her that her kingdom is under attack by the versions of… well, my sister and I, that exist in her world. I was going to see if I could help her.”

“That was honorable, but incredibly dangerous,” Princess Twilight said, in her sternest lecture voice. “The walls separating each universe from one another are durable, but to a point. Repeated visits will weaken them to the point of collapse. Starswirl realized this when he was working on stress-testing the prototype with Princess Celestia, and when he built the Earth-Equestria portal, he put in safeguards to account for it, which aren’t present in the prototype, for obvious reasons.” She glared at Celestia. “You’re lucky you haven’t been hurt. All your trips through that portal have worn down the wall, before long, it may not be safe for anyone to get through!”

“Then I shall go through,” Luna announced, stomping a hoof. "I will go into this other world and smite the enemy! I’ve been anxious for a good scuffle for months! Perilous journeys are what I thrive upon!”

“No,” Twilight said, and there was a definite note of finality in her voice. “You two must not through that mirror. Luna, if that world does have magic, you wouldn't be able to wield it effectively, and in a case like this, lack of knowledge can be fatal. Celestia can’t go through because she's been there too many times already, to risk another trip through could be disastrous.” She pointed a hoof at Gem and Sunset. “You two are the only ones I trust to go through and survive. Sunset, you were Princess Celestia’s student once, I know you’re good at magic. Gem, you may not have had magic for as long as Sunset and I, but you make up for it with sheer inventiveness. That will serve you well in the mission to come.”

“How _dare_ you presume to tell me I cannot wield magic!” Luna shouted, slamming a hoof onto the floor and snorting. “Need I remind you, your majesty, that I, Miss Shadow, and the late Miss Lulamoon were once overtaken by an entity from _your_ realm? I believe I am just as knowledgable in the ways of powerful yet flawed malefactors as these two!” She pointed another hoof at Sunset and Gem. “No offense, Miss Shimmer.”

“None taken,” muttered Sunset.

Celestia placed a calming hoof on her sister’s shoulder. “Lulu… we cannot go because _we_ are the evil that is encroaching upon Sombra’s queendom. _We_ are the villains.”

“And again, sister, you overrule me!” Luna exclaimed, her expression positively murderous. “I will gladly take up the mantle and fight this battle against me, and evil you!” She smirked a little. “Actually, the image of an evil you makes me quite giddy. I’d rather like to see it.”

“Luna, I said no,” Celestia replied. “There’s been a shift in both worlds that has linked us too closely. As the Princess said, if I were to return there, that will almost certainly upset the balance between worlds… to say nothing of what might happen if you went, previous battles with evil notwithstanding.”

Luna sighed. “Very well.”

Twilight got to her hooves. “Now that we have that straightened out, we can move on to the next part of the plan. Gem, Sunset, the last nighttime train to Canterlot left half an hour ago, so you’ll have to go in the morning. Luckily I have a clear schedule tomorrow, so I can take you there myself. In the meantime, your usual guest rooms should be ready for you.”

Gem smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Twilight. I always enjoy coming here, even if the circumstances surrounding this visit are somewhat… less than ideal.”

Twilight smiled for the first time all night. “It’s no problem, really. I like having you here too.” She hugged Gem tight. “I’ll see you in the morning, Spike is making pancakes.” She bid the four other-worlders goodnight, and a guard showed them to their rooms.

* * *

Gem, Sunset, and Twilight boarded the train to Canterlot the next morning with full bellies, courtesy of Spike’s cooking. Twilight was in a better mood now that she didn’t have to worry quite so much about Principal Celestia going through the prototype portal without permission, (as she and Luna had returned to Earth after breakfast) and was about as happy as she usually was.

“So, tell us more about this library you mentioned, Twilight,” Gem said, as she sat Lyra-style beside Sunset on one of the train compartment’s bench seats. 

“I’d be happy to!” Twilight replied. “For starters, Starswirl's magical study wasn’t in Canterlot Castle itself. Instead, it was deep inside the mountain that the city is built upon. The cave system to get to it is incredibly complicated to navigate, it was built by Starswirl himself and he didn't believe in plebeians being able to find their way.”

Sunset snickered. “Like us, you mean. And Principal Celestia too.”

Twilight giggled. “No kidding. The fact that she was able to get down there not only once, but repeatedly, is practically miraculous!”

“You’re assuming she went through the school’s portal every time,” Gem pointed out. “For all we know, she had someone in Sombra’s world create a second portal that she could use on Earth, to provide a direct link from Earth to Sombra’s queendom.” When Twilight and Sunset looked at her, she raised her hooves defensively. “Well, it’s what I’d do if I were in her place.”

“But if the caverns are so hard to get through, how are we supposed to find his study?” Sunset asked, dragging the conversation back on topic.

“You’ve got me, remember?” Twilight grinned. “Princess Luna told me once that if any pony can understand and navigate those corridors, it’s me. Apparently, Princess Celestia has even compared me to Starswirl himself!” She gave her tail a happy swish.

“Then I do believe we are in for quite an adventure,” Gem said happily, and settled into her seat, swishing her own tail as the scenery sped by.

* * *

Two unicorns and an alicorn traversed the caves beneath the city, clearing cobwebs with their magics and doing their best to keep from sneezing. Gem had found a handkerchief in her saddlebags and tied it over her muzzle. Fortunately, the way was not as dark and dreary as they’d thought, magical lamps and torches glowed brightly, and there was plenty of things to see.

“I don't understand why I thought finding things down here was so complicated,” Twilight commented, as they passed a sign. “It’s like…”

“Like you built it?" Sunset ventured.

Twilight nodded. “Well, yes! Just think girls, Starswirl used to walk these very halls! We’re stepping on the same dirt that he stepped on! Can you just imagine what it was like to be here hundreds of years ago?”

“It was probably a little less… ruinous,” Gem commented. 

The walk kept going. They passed several waterfalls, and a pool built especially for a hydra, whose skeleton lay draped in the water. After about a half hour or so, Twilight gasped. “I think we’ve found it!” She pointed to a pair of enormous metal doors, painted gold. Beside it was a sign that read “ATHENAEUM AND SUNDRIES.”

“Athenaeum?” Sunset blinked. "I thought we were looking for a library!”

“An athenaeum _is_ a library,” replied Twilight. “Didn’t you read that thesaurus I got you for your birthday?”

Sunset shook her head. “Of course not! Who reads a thesaurus for fun?”

“I do!” Gem interrupted. “It makes the vernacular abound with convivial pleasantry!”

Twilight grinned. “Oh Gem, you’re a mare after my own heart.”

Gem giggled. “Sorry Twilight, I’m taken.” 

The trio proceeded into the library, and Twilight immediately gasped with surprise. “Oh my gosh! Look over there! It’s an original tome of Starswirl’s studies of heavenly spheres! And over there! His original diagrams for the uses of practical magic! And over _there_! It’s his original hat, complete with bells!”

Gem smiled fondly, enjoying the sight of Twilight geeking out. “She’s just like our Twilight,” she commented to Sunset. “Remember when we took her to that observatory? She couldn’t stop gushing for days!”

Sunset, however, had her mind elsewhere. She was staring transfixed at a picture of a younger Celestia, from when she had been what is now Luna’s height. “Wow… Celestia looks so _young_ in this…” She breathed.

Twilight nodded. “It _is_ kind of hard to think of her as anything but what she looks like now, she’s been alive for so long.”

“She had problems to overcome, just like me,” Sunset whispered. “I wonder what she was thinking back then… I can’t believe I haven’t asked her to tell me about it. Maybe things could have ended differently…” She glanced at Twilight.

“Like maybe, you’d be the one with the wings?” Twilight guessed. She placed a hoof on Sunset’s shoulder. “Listen… you made mistakes when you were younger, everypony does. But you’ve worked hard to learn from them, and look where it’s gotten you. You have a great life now, even better than what you had in Equestria. Would you really think about giving all that up for a measly pair of wings?”

Sunset thought this over before shaking her head. “Not in the least.”

“I hate to break up this emotional scene,” Gem announced, “But I believe we found what we came down here for!” She pointed a hoof at a sign which read “RESEARCH ON MIRRORS.” The trio walked to the indicated area, and sure enough, there stood the prototype portal, as dusty and cobwebbed as anything else in the room.

Twilight produced a scroll and handed to Sunset with her magic. “Going through this mirror is a little different than the one you’re used to. You’ll be able to return at any time via the spell on this page. Read it, remember it, and don’t forget it.”

Sunset nodded. “I won’t, Twilight. We’ll keep you informed through the book.”

Twilight nodded, and hugged Sunset and Gem tight. “Good luck out there,” she said. “Be careful.”

“You can count on us, Twilight!” Gem exclaimed. The portal activated, and the two mares stepped through.

* * *

After a psychedelic trip through a vortex very different to the one they knew, and a transformation that actually hurt, Gem and Sunset were thrown from the portal and landed roughly in a dirt field.

“At least we’re human again,” Gem commented, getting to her feet. "But something seems different… more different than usual, I mean.”

“Well, for starters, you still have your horn,” Sunset replied, pointing. “And you have pony ears rather than human ones.”

“So do you,” Gem agreed. “I guess Equestrian magic must be a little more prevalent around here than back home. And just look at our clothes! These aren’t modern at all!” Gem was clad not in her usual sweater and jeans, but in a dark blue [dress](http://bit.ly/2t3o0ZN) that looked as though it was from the Edwardian era. Sunset wore a similar dress, only [red](http://bit.ly/2t3oX48).

“I guess this world must be more like Equestria than Earth then,” Sunset realized. “But we won’t know for sure until we start exploring.”

“Though I can’t say I’m looking forward to it,” said Gem, looking around at their surroundings for the first time. The sky was a deep blood-red, and in front of them was a dilapidated wall covered in moss and vines, with an equally grim looking version of Canterlot Castle in the distance. 

“It’s so… bleak. Things must be really bad here,” Sunset gasped.

“Is this what our home will look like if we fail?” Gem asked, holding Sunset’s hand in her own. She dimly noted it was smaller than her hand back home.

“I hope not,” said Sunset grimly. “Come on, let’s get going." 

“After I take some pictures!” Gem reached into the pocket of her dress, took out her phone, and quickly snapped a few shots of the landscape. “May as well include this in our report, after all. Now we can go.” And they set off.

“The route to the throne room seems to be the same as in our Canterlot,” Sunset commented as they walked. “I mean, Equestria’s Canterlot.”

“Isn’t it endlessly fascinating how many different versions of us there are?” Gem said, in a thoughtful voice. “Who are we in each one of them? And of those selves, which of them is the real Gemini and Sunset?”

Sunset chuckled. “All of them at once, I think.” They kept walking for several minutes and eventually arrived at the throne room. Gem knocked on the door, which swung open immediately.

“Greetings, and welcome to Canterlot,” said a voice. A [woman](https://derpibooru.org/679259) with dark grey skin and black hair streaked with blue wearing a purple robe trimmed with faux fur and a blue chest piece (with matching shoes) stood before them. A unicorn horn protruded from her forehead. She smiled. “I am Queen Sombra, and you two are the Lady Gemini Shadow of Earth and Sunset Shimmer of Equestria. Celestia told me you would come. I’ve been expecting you two. Come, we have much to discuss.” She quickly led them to a balcony, which allowed them a full view of the surrounding city. 

“Sunset… this place looks like home,” Gem observed. “With this castle in place of Canterlot High, of course.”

“I’m so glad you’ve come,” Sombra continued. “I’ve really run out of options and I'm in desperate need of aid. Celestia has assured me that you two are the best defense she has available.”

Gem blushed. “Well, we do try, ma’am.”

“And you succeed,” Sombra replied. “I’ve heard so many stories of your use of the powers of harmony in saving your home world. Celestia has done little else but talk of how proud she is of all of you.”

Further discussion was interrupted by the sudden flapping of wings as two figures flew into view. [One](http://bit.ly/2rQuXcw) looked exactly like Principal Celestia, though her hair was rendered in darker shades of blue, green, red, and purple. Her robes were white and purple, with matching gloves and boots. She had a horn and wings, and instead of a crown, she wore a golden two-pronged head dressing. In her hands, she carried a golden scepter with a sun at the top, with a black circle in the middle. 

The [other](https://derpibooru.org/1186770) one looked exactly like Vice Principal Luna, though her robes, armor, and boots were all red and black. Behind her pony ears were two red and black fins, instead of a crown. She too had wings and a horn, and carried two swords, one red and one blue, in either hand.

“Well well well, sister! It’s our favorite plaything!” asked Mirror Luna, smirking.

“Oh Sombra, where’s that pretty lady friend of yours?” asked Mirror Celestia. “I wasn’t done playing with her when she left!”

“What are _you_ doing here?!” Sombra asked, crossing her arms. “Another round of vicious taunting?”

Mirror Celestia chuckled darkly. “I’m just here for a friendly hello,” she said, as she and Mirror Luna landed on the balcony. “Have you reconsidered my offer, hm?”

“You and your offer can go to Tartarus!” Sombra shot back.

“Oh Celestia, come and look!” Luna called. “Sombra has friends!”

“Who exactly _are_ you two?” Gem asked, crossing her arms and looking distinctly unamused.

“I am Empress Celestia Solaris,” replied Mirror Celestia. “And this is my sister and chief enforcer, Empress Luna Nocturne. You stand in the Equestrian Solar Empire, and if you are smart, you will bow before me at once!” She aimed her scepter at Gem’s head. “Or I will kill you where you stand, other-worlder.”

“I bow to no one,” Gem shot back, lighting her horn. 

Mirror Luna smirked. “And what are you going to do with that, small one? A card trick?” She patted Gem’s head with a gloved hand.

In response, Gem used her magic to send a mild magical shock coursing through Mirror Luna’s body, stunning her.

Mirror Celestia smiled evilly, showing fangs. “Well, this just got more interesting. Prepare to battle, then!” And so the fight began, with Gem and Sunset teaming up to fight against the two Empresses. Magical beams were exchanged, and the two winged humans used their powers of flight to attack the teens from above, making fighting back difficult. In the end though, Gem and Sunset were beaten, thanks to Mirror Celestia and Luna’s wings and their superior experience in offensive magic.

Laughing victoriously, the Imperial Sisters took flight again. “Sombra! We’ll be back, you can’t say no forever!” Mirror Celestia yelled, and off they went into the night.

Gem got uneasily to her feet, and helped Sunset up. “Somehow, I have the feeling this fight isn’t going to be as easy as I thought…”

Sombra laid a calming hand on Gem’s shoulder. “Worry not, Lady Gemini. I’ve been fighting the Imperial Sisters all my life, I shall teach you both what I know. For now, off to the infirmary. You both have injuries that need tending to." She guided the two teens back inside, closing the balcony doors behind her.

* * *

“I’m curious to know who Sombra’s new little friends are, aren’t you?” Mirror Celestia asked Mirror Luna. The two of them were sitting in the Imperial Throne Room, a grim, depressing looking place made mostly of grey bricks.

Mirror Luna nodded. “Oh yes. We may have beaten them soundly, but I could tell that both of them have at least some amount of magical talent. I think they shall be worthy opponents.”

“I am just certain that Queen Sombra is plotting something that will defeat us,” Mirror Celestia replied. “It’s the same thing with her every day. ‘Leave my people alone! I’m going to throw up this defense shield so you’ll get bored and go away! Blah blah blah! It’s getting _old_. I’m ready for a _new_ challenge.” She surveyed the empty nighttime streets of the town below her palace. “If only I’d had more time with my other self… I could have beaten the location of that portal to her world out of her, I almost had it last time… Just think of it, Luna. Another kingdom under our feet, and a much nicer one at that. We would be free to rule as we wished, without that pestilential Sombra to annoy us.

“Perhaps it would be wise to spy on the newcomers a bit?” Mirror Luna suggested. “We can find out what they know, and where they have come from. If they come from your counterpart’s world, we may yet be able to learn of the portal’s location from them.”

Mirror Celestia nodded. “Very well.”

Mirror Luna nodded and clapped her hands once, then shouted in the Royal Voice, “GEMINI! THY EMPRESS COMMANDS THEE TO ATTEND TO HER NEEDS!”

At once, a grey-skinned girl with brown hair, green eyes, and a unicorn horn entered from a side room, dressed in a black coat and skirt trimmed with blue. “You sent for me, Empress Luna?” she asked.

“Take your disguised form and spy upon Queen Sombra’s new acquaintances,” Mirror Luna barked. “Do this successfully and you will be rewarded handsomely. Fail, and you will be executed immediately. Is that understood?”

Mirror Gem saluted sharply. “Understood, my Empress. I live to serve you.” She took out a necklace with a bright red ruby charm, tapped it twice, and transformed into a small grey cat with patches of brown in her fur. She mewed, and scampered away into the night. _“By the time I’m done with you though, you will be bowing before me,”_ she thought.

* * *

“So, your majesty, why don’t you tell us about how you met Principal Celestia?” Gem asked Queen Sombra. The three women were sitting together in Sombra’s private study. Gem and Sunset were now healed from their magical battle with the Imperial Sisters, and were now nursing cups of tea.

Sombra smiled. “I suppose I must, in the interest of saving our world as we know it.” She took a sip of her tea and began to tell her story. “It all began a few years ago, when Celestia arrived from your Equestria…” And so began a flashback.

* * *

“Good morrow, newcomer. Welcome to Canterlot. I am Queen Sombra,” said she, offering a hand to the pale-skinned woman in a soft orange and purple pantsuit who had just fallen out of a statue. “It would seem we have much to discuss, as you carry a striking resemblance to someone I already know, one I do not care for very much.”

Celestia got to her feet and dusted herself off. “I see… well, I am Celestia Solaris, I work at… Canterlot… High…” She trailed off, then pointed a finger at Sombra’s horn. “Forgive me, but why do you have a unicorn horn protruding from your forehead?”

“Because I can do magic,” Sombra answered. “Magic has always been here, it is a cornerstone of our society. Do they not have magic where you come from?”

Celestia shook her head. “Not really. I mean, it _is_ there, but only a particular group of eight students are able to use it.” She took out her wallet and showed Sombra a photograph of the recent Camp Everfree trip, with eight particular girls situated near the center of the picture.

“I see,” Sombra said, studying the picture. “Perhaps we should talk somewhere more comfortable. We shall take drinks in the parlor, if you would like to.”

Celestia smiled. “Certainly. I don’t see why not.” And she followed Sombra down the hall and off to another part of the castle.

* * *

“So, in this world,” Celestia began, “I am a villain? How fascinating!” 

Sombra nodded. “You don't seem to have a villainous bone in your body, do you?”

Celestia shook her head. “Not in the least. I’ve been told I am about as pure and good as a diamond.”

Sombra chuckled. “I can see that you are quite the gem.”

Celestia blushed. “Well, thank you, your highness. I must say, your kingdom looks lovely. I’d love to see more of it.”

Sombra nodded. “That can certainly be arranged. I’d be glad to escort you about for the day. I can only hope you like what you see enough to return again.” As she spoke, a blue-skinned figure wearing a cloak designed like the ancient Egyptians entered the room. “Ah, wonderful timing, Luna! Come meet our guest!”

Mirror Luna smiled. “Why, you’re a double for my own sister. But your visage is… sweeter. How lovely!” Her wings gave a happy flick.

Sombra nodded, getting up from her chair. “Ladies, shall we depart?” she asked.

Celestia and Mirror Luna both nodded and said at once, “Let’s go!”

And so they went, exploring everything from the castle itself to demonstrations of both science and magic. They even went to a samba-fest and chili cook-off, where Celestia and Sombra danced the night away.

At the end of the night, Sombra guided Celestia back to the main courtyard. “Please do return, Celestia. As often as you would like,” she said, holding Celestia’s hand.

“Of course,” Celestia replied, blushing faintly. “I’d love to see you… and more of your world.”

“Before you go,” Sombra said, “I have something to give you, and something to show you.” Mirror Luna passed over a large full-length mirror. “A direct portal from my world to your own, so that you do not have to traverse through that statue at your school whenever you wish to visit us.”

Celestia took it in both hands and smiled. “Thank you very much… I am sure I will get a lot of use out of it. What is the second thing?”

Sombra smiled. “Please, follow me.” She led Celestia across the courtyard to a space with several large trees, which were decorated with ribbons and small pieced of parchment. There were also flowers planted here and there, also with ribbons. 

Celestia looked around, astonished. “This is amazing! What _is_ this place?” 

Sombra chuckled and gestured grandly with her arms. “It’s a wishing garden. It’s a custom of my people. You write something on a card, something you wish for, or that you're thankful for. Then you tie it to a tree in the hopes that it will come true, or in hopes that you can hold on to it. I’ve never had much use for it… until you came along.” She cupped Celestia’s cheek in her hand. “Celestia, I have been ruling my world for a very long time… and you are the first woman in decades to have captured my heart like this. Will you help me write my wish?”

“But of course,” Celestia replied, taking a quill from Sombra’s hand. She went to a small podium, and dictated Sombra’s wish: “I wish for you to forever be my always.” Then they kissed, deeply and passionately. After a time, Celestia said her goodbyes, then walked through the stone statue and disappeared. Upon her return to Earth, the mirror was hung in her bedroom at home.

* * *

Back in the present, Sombra finished her story with a less than cheerful expression on her face. “I have not seen Celestia since I first began to realize that the wall between my world and yours was weakening,” she said. “In her absence, I have devoted myself fully to keeping the Imperial Sisters at bay, and as you can see, it has not been easy.” The world outside her study was barren and pitiful.

“The Imperial Sisters have really taken a toll on your land, haven’t they?” Sunset commented, looking out at the town.

Sombra nodded grimly. “Quite so. This world used to be lush, green, and bountiful… it was beautiful. But the Imperial Sisters have taken to destroying whatever they can get their magic on. Our pegasus cities lie in ruins, so the rains haven’t come in quite some time. The Earthers that have been our greatest farmers have been forced away from the castle. Spirits are broken. I fear another fight near the castle might drive any pony left here out to the outlying cities, where the Sisters’ hold is stronger.”

“Where can we find them?” Gem asked, draining her tea and running her hands along a few folds in her dress to smooth them out. 

“A large castle at the edge of the Everfree forest,” Sombra replied. “Though I have tried to capture them on many occasions, they remain elusive.”

“What exactly do they want from you?” Sunset asked. “I heard one of them mention an offer.”

“Empress Celestia is trying to trade me the safety of Principal Celestia in exchange for information: the location of the portal that leads to your world,” Sombra explained. “In exchange, she and Empress Luna will cross over to Earth and continue their reign of terror there. The idea of another rich and fertile world to conquer is too tempting for her.”

“So she offered you the chance to be with the woman you love _and_ the safety of your subjects, and you said no?” Gem asked.

Sombra nodded. “Correct. To accept her offer would mean dooming your Earth to fighting the Imperial Sisters. I do not wish that fate on the world my Celestia so loves, nor any other. Besides which, Empress Celestia has never been trustworthy. I know she must be plotting a way to rule both worlds, as she would not give up what she so readily sees as hers. However…” She took Gem’s and Sunset’s hands in her own. “My Celestia knows that you two will be able to find a way to save not just my world, but yours as well.”

Sunset thinks. “Let’s see… from what Princess Twilight told me, logic dictates that the things that led to the defeat of the Sombra in my Equestria will help defeat the Sisters here. If we imprison them in crystal, it will keep them alive, unharmed, and most importantly, contained!”

Sombra smiled. “Most ingenious, Miss Shimmer. We shall set off at once!” The three got to their feet and left the study to prepare for departure. None of them noticed the small cat that leapt from the window and out of sight.

* * *

“Welcome back, Gemini,” said Mirror Luna, as the grey tabby cat transformed back into a human girl. “What have you found out?”

“Everything, my Empress!” Mirror Gem replied. “They plan to imprison you and Empress Celestia in crystal!”

Mirror Luna nodded and quickly put on her red vestments. “Very well. I shall inform my sister immediately.” She flew off into the depths of the castle.

The skies were a deep green color as Gem, Sunset, and Sombra walked together toward the Castle of the Two Sisters. To keep everyone occupied, Gem and Sunset took turns explaining some of their recent magical escapades. “And that’s how we defeated Nightmare Moon once and for all,” Gem concluded. “Well, everyone but me. I was lying in a ditch, close to death. It was only the timely intervention of my friends that saved me.”

Sombra chuckled. “How I wish we had champions like you here, Lady Gemini. Our Luna went dark at the same time yours did, and with Celestia already causing trouble, their magical abilities grew, as did their thirst for power. In time, she managed to conquer almost every city in my kingdom, save Canterlot.” She looked worriedly at the tempestuous sky above them. “I hope fate is on our side. The closer we get to the Castle of the Two Sisters, the darker the sky becomes. I do not like this.”

“We’ll be fine,” Gem said reassuringly. “Sunset and I have the magic of friendship on our side, after all.”

* * *

“Should we go meet them out there, or let them come here?” Mirror Luna asked. She and her sister were on a balcony, keeping watch on the trio’s progress.

“Let them come,” Mirror Celestia said at once. 

“What?! Why wait?” Mirror Luna exclaimed. “We’re going to _have_ to take them all out before they can encase us in crystal! Pity we won’t be able to get the location of the portal to the other world first. It would have been fun to rain terror upon another land.”

Mirror Celestia chuckled darkly and began to walk back inside the castle. “Oh, we’ll get the spell out of them. I have my _own_ plan. You see, I’m going to bring that goody-two-shoes version of myself _here_ for the fight. Look at the skies… the walls between the worlds are crumbling. Something has clearly changed… I believe it may be those two new humans Sombra has brought with her. They are powerful, and that power is quickening whatever tear in time and space Sombra and that _other_ Celestia caused. Once she’s here, I have a plan to force the location of her portal out of her, then I’ll have her little minions trap her in crystal, and I will be free to take over her world without fear of her getting so much as a paper cut and hurting us both.”

“Don’t you mean _us_?” Mirror Luna interrupted. “ _We_ will be free to take over her world. _Us_.”

Celestia tilted Luna’s head up with a gloved hand and chuckled. “Of course, little sister. Us,” she lied. A knock came at the throne room door at just that moment. “ENTER!” Mirror Celestia yelled.

Mirror Gem entered the room, bowing low. “Your Imperial Majesties, Queen Sombra and the two visitors have arrived in the main courtyard. They have requested an audience.”

Mirror Celestia nodded. “Request granted. Take us to them.”

* * *

“Last chance, Sombra!” Mirror Celestia called. “Care to hand over the keys to the other world and live in this desolate landscape with your lady love?”

“I don’t believe for one second that you would leave this place so easily!” Sombra shouted back, her hair blowing in the wind. “You can’t have both worlds, Celestia! You are to stay in this one, and you will no longer harm my subjects!”

“Very well,” Mirror Celestia shot back. “The hard way it is then. I will bring your special someone here!”

“What makes you think she’ll come?” Gem shouted. “Principal Celestia would never fall for whatever cheap trick you’re planning!”

Mirror Celestia laughed. “Oh, it’s not a trick! I bet she’ll come running if her sister’s life is in danger!” Her horn glowed blood red, and in a flash of powerful magic, Mirror Luna was thrown to the ground, knocked out cold.

* * *

On Earth, Luna and Celestia were at home, keeping a tense eye on the skies, which were just as green as they were in Sombra’s world. When Mirror Celestia struck at Mirror Luna, Vice Principal Luna was thrown from her chair and into the living room window, shattering the glass.

“LUNA!” Celestia screamed, racing to the kitchen and grabbing a cold compress, which she applied to Luna’s head. “You’ll be okay, I’ll get help…” But something was wrong. The sky itself began to crack and shatter, as two radically different worlds began to fuse into one. Soon, she was face to face with her malevolent counterpart.

Mirror Celestia laughed evilly. “MWAHAHAHAHA! this is even better than I could have _hoped_ for!" She faced her doppelgänger, her scepter in her hand. “Give me your world, Celestia. You get to stay here, with your little sweetie!”

“And let you run roughshod over my school?!” Celestia shot back, straightening the lapels of her jacket. “I think not!”

Gem and Sunset leapt into action, and clasped their hands. “Let’s end this,” said Gem, glaring at Mirror Celestia.

“But we don’t have the others!” Sunset exclaimed. “Our worlds might have merged now, but there’s no way we can get to them in time!”

“Oh relax, Sunny,” said a new voice. “We didn’t need a personalized invitation to come do our thing. The weird sky was kind of a big clue.” Raven Sable stepped into view, flanked by Adagio, Aria, Sonata, Twilight, and Emerald. “Now, let's get to work!”

“Let’s,” Gem agreed, and the eight friends began to hold each others’ hands, focusing on the magic within them. Pony ears and tails grew on the new arrivals, and all eight rose into the air, glowing with magic.

“And what do you eight think you’re doing?” Mirror Celestia asked, watching this display with a raised eyebrow. 

“What they always do,” Celestia replied. “Those girls have saved my school… my world… more times than I can count, and we owe them a debt of gratitude. And now they’re saving this one, too.” 

From the eight, a rainbow appeared and flew right toward the Imperial Sisters, wrapping around them. The dark magic was purged from their bodies and destroyed, while the fusion between Earth and Sombra’s world was halted, then reversed. In seconds, it was all over: Mirror Celestia and Mirror Luna were no longer evil, but pure of heart. They wore new [outfits](http://bit.ly/2rYZKE6), of the same Egyptian style Luna had worn before her turn to darkness.

“Can it be?” Sombra asked, as the light faded. “Are you two really alright?”

Mirror Celestia nodded, smiling. “Yes… we are, Sombra. We are.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Gem said happily, coming over to join them. She looked to Sombra. “You’re free to come to our world now, you know. With the Sisters back to normal, they should be able to rule in your place.”

Sombra nodded. “I shall indeed come, Lady Gemini.” She smiled. “Sisters, I leave Canterlot, and the rest of our world, in your capable hands. I am sure our subjects will be happy to see that their Princesses have been restored to them at last.”

Mirror Celestia nodded. “We shall do our best, Sombra. Good luck to you, in that strange other realm.” She turned to Gem. “And thank you, Lady Gemini, for bringing us… the real us… back.”

Gem smiled. “It’s all a part of the magic of friendship, Princess. If I were you, I’d go looking for six or eight people who can harness such powers. I think you’ll find a few willing participants.” She turned back to her friends. “Alright girls, let’s go home!”

* * *

“You’re putting the portal away?” Luna asked in amazement, watching her sister put the mirror into a box, which she closed as tightly as she could. 

Celestia nodded. “I don’t really need it anymore, Luna. Sombra is here with me, and her world is being looked after by our equivalents. Keeping it is… tempting, but it is a temptation I must resist. After all… we have another portal to deal with.”

Luna laughed. “I’ll say we do.”

* * *

“I really can’t thank you enough for your actions today, you two,” Princess Twilight said, holding Gem’s and Sunset’s hands in her own. “You managed to save not just your world, but two. If it was up to me, I’d say that merits a reward of some type.”

Gem chuckled. “That’s quite alright, Princess Twilight. I don’t need any rewards.” She took a deep breath through her nose and smiled. “Just living is enough for me.” Then, Princess Twilight turned and went back through the portal to Equestria, leaving her friends for the moment.


	17. Election Daze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem runs for mayor of Canterlot, and the authors work out their frustrations regarding the 2016 American election. Non-canon.

Standing at her window overlooking the town, Violet Lulamoon smiled to herself. Running for mayor of this pathetic little backwater was perfect. At last, she could exact revenge on the one who had done such great harm to her family, and she could do nothing to stop it.

Then a knock came on her office door. "Enter!" she barked.

Her assistant came in, holding a newspaper in her hands. "Ma'am? I'm afraid I have some bad news..."

"What? What is it?" Violet asked, frowning. She grabbed the paper and stared at the headline: 'GEMINI SHADOW TO CHALLENGE LULAMOON IN CANTERLOT MAYORAL RACE."

The force of her scream shattered several panes of glass in the immediate area.

* * *

Meanwhile at Shadowfall, Gem watched the news reports of her announcement, a glass of wine in her hand. Her daughters, Melody and Victoria, sat beside her.

"Doesn't look like they're being very nice to you, Mom," Melody comments.

"Yeah," Tori agrees. "They keep saying you can't win."

Gem chuckled, her cheeks slightly red from the wine. "Girls, it'll be fine... I told them not to underestimate us. We can accomplish anything if we try."

"We knooooow," chorus the girls.

* * *

Violet Lulamoon was no stranger to the political arena. Her first taste of the political limelight came when her husband was elected as mayor of the city of Fillydelphia, a city they once called home. Glad-handing and hob-nobbing with the elite of the political world left an insatiable itch to rise to power of her own some day.

Not long after arriving in Canterlot, following the completion of her husband's term as mayor, she was elected to a seat on the Canterlot city council, holding this position for eight years. She launched her first bid for mayor of Canterlot during her last year on the city council, and despite her loss, gained enough clout to be named as director of the city's chamber of commerce, a position she held for four years before stepping down voluntarily to “focus on her family.”

Today, standing in front of Canterlot City Hall, flanked by a throng of supporters all wearing baseball caps reading, “MAKE CANTERLOT GREAT AGAIN,” and joined at the podium by the elite of the Canterlot political society, Violet clears her throat and launches into her speech.

“Citizens of Canterlot, I stand before you today to formally announce my candidacy for mayor of the great city of Canterlot. It is my belief that this city can once again be the shining jewel it once was, and with hard work and determination, as your mayor, I can work with you to make Canterlot great again!” Cheers rang out from the crowd.

“There are many threats and challenges we must overcome in order to make this a reality. One of the biggest, and most vocal, challenges comes from the community that identifies itself as gay, or lesbian, or 'transgender,' she said framing the final word in air-quotes. “The current bill before the city council, in essence, would force the school board to let boys shower with little girls. This is ridiculous. It shows just how radical and extreme these deviant and perverted persons are. You know, I’m the mother of two little girls. Tamara and Trisha are seven and five. I don’t want my daughters taking showers with little boys, I don’t want them when they’re in junior high or high school. And it’s absurd, no parents do. And these are zealots.” A smattering of applause was heard from the crowd.

“I will also do whatever is in my power as mayor to protect the sanctity of marriage. Marriage is a sacrament between one man and one woman. It is the building block of civilization and has strengthened societies for millenia. As mayor, I will work to define, by law, what a marriage is and not allow any special interest groups to interfere with that definition.

“The next threat that faces us, and our children, is the proliferation of magic-based weaponry that has seen an increase in availability. As many of you know, my dear and darling daughter Trixie was killed by a magic user. I will not let this, in any way, sway my opinions on the regulation of magic and magic-based weaponry in our fair city. I know we are smart enough to figure out how you protect responsible magical-weapon owners' rights and get magic out of the hands of people that shouldn't have it.

“There will be a lot of work leading up to the election, and I am counting upon each and every one of you to rise to the challenge, to get the word out about our campaign, and help me return Canterlot to the glorious state in which it once existed!” Loud cheers filled the air, and campaign signs were waved from the crowd.

Watching the spectacle from the television in Gem's family room, Melody turned to Gem and asked, “Why does she think you're an evil person, Mom?”

“Because,” Raven said, sitting ext to Gem and Melody, “your mother and her daughter had … well, let's just say there was no love lost between them. And, Mrs. Lulamoon still blames your mother for Trixie's death.”

Victoria, who had been watching Gem's reaction very carefully, nudged Raven. “I think Mom's about to blow a gasket over this,” she said quietly.

Victoria is absolutely right. Gem is sitting on the other end of the couch with a white-knuckle grip on one arm, with whisps of steam coming from her ears. She turns to Raven. "I promised to run an issue-based campaign, and I intend to do so. But she had better not mistake that for weakness. I will not stand by and let these attacks go unanswered!"

* * *

After the rally, Violet sat in her office, nursing a whiskey sour and poring over poll results. “Good, the cretins are eating this up, and that fringe-candidate pervert Shadow is barely registering.” she looked out over her sea of advisors. “Bottom line it for me, boys … does Gemini Shadow pose any significant threat to my campaign?”

Each one shook their heads. “From what we can see,” said one advisor in an annoying monotone voice, “this is a protest campaign that has no serious chance of steering the election away from you, and as a result I would recommend not paying it any attention. We let our contacts in the media know the same and her press coverage will be severely limited.”

“Good,” Violet said, sitting back and lazily taking a sip. “This may as well be a coronation rather than an election,” she said smugly, closing her eyes.

* * *

The Shadow campaign office is a busy place. Residing on the first and second floors of a disused office building in Canterlot's sixth district, campaign volunteers are hard at work phonebanking, organizing canvassing expeditions, and otherwise doing the nuts and bolts of what it takes to run a mayoral campaign.

The second floor contains the staff offices. Twilight Sparkle, the campaign manager, has her office directly across the hall from Gem's. Other members of staff are veterans from Azul Shadow's many campaigns, who he has loaned out to give his daughter the best possible chance of success.

Gem strides in through the door and gives the volunteers and staff a smile and wave. "Good morning, everyone! How goes the day so far?"

“Could be better,” replied Chad, one of the advisors from Trottingham. “Our biggest problems are lack of name recognition and practically no press coverage. We have volunteers working on the former, but the local press seems shut tight against any mention of you or your candidacy.”

“Tied in to that,” Twilight added, “your poll numbers are practically non-existent. It'll take a few weeks to see if our efforts are having any effect.”

Emerald Wave, press liaison, entered the room. “We can get coverage in some of the lesser-known newspapers and from outlets outside Canterlot, but the Canterlot Press is blocking us out. Small wonder, considering who owns it.” She points to a name on the editorial staff. “They've been close with the Lulamoons for years.”

Gem shakes her head and sighs. "Typical... we're fighting the entire city establishment here, and the candidate they support... at least we have The Times!" She holds up that morning's issue of The Trottingham Times with her picture on the front. "They'll never let us down! Unless Mother decides to make her voice heard, which she might." The smile fades. "Anyway... keep up the great work everyone, Twilight, if you could see me in my office in a few minutes, that would be splendid." She smiles again and walks toward the elevator, takes it to the second floor, and walks into her office.

Gem's office is the largest one, with a sweeping view of the city in one window, and a painting of Trottingham's skyline positioned behind her desk, on which sits pictures of her family and her father. Also on the desk is her computer and a vast assortment of papers. On the wall in front of the desk is a map of Canterlot and its twenty districts. She stands before the map, thinking hard.

A few minutes later, Twilight enters the office. “This might cheer you up, Gem. We just got the endorsement from the teachers' union, based on your pledge to increase school funding and teacher salaries.” She looks at the map. “We'll need to focus our efforts on winning the votes in the lower-income and immigrant sectors of the city. The immigrants, especially, after Lulamoon's comments.” She holds a paper with a quote from Violet highlighted: “As has been stated continuously in the press, people are pouring across our borders unabated. Public reports routinely state great amounts of crime are being committed by illegal immigrants. This must be stopped and it must be stopped now.”

"Does she intend to build a beautiful, lovely wall with which to block the immigrants?" Gem asks dryly. "Good grief... I realize immigration is a controversial subject, but there is no one band-aid we can use to fix the problem, we have to attack it from a variety of angles." She looks back to the map. "I worry about how the southern and eastern districts will vote... from the data I've seen, there aren't too many progressives there, and because our delegates are awarded proportionally, if we fall far behind, it will be difficult for us to catch up."

“Then, we'll need to capture as much as we can before the convention. If we can at least get twenty-five percent of the delegates, we can earn the right to add items to the party agenda, which would make them part of the official platform. Which means we can get LGBT protection as party line items.” Twilight smiled. “Although, I have a feeling once people get to know you and your stance on the issues, they're gonna fall in love with you.”

Gem smiled back, "We can only hope."

* * *

Twilight's prediction was bearing fruit, as Gem's poll numbers steadily began to rise, climbing into double-digits within a week, and after two successful rallies in the most diverse sections of the city, she was poised to come within the margin of error on most of the major polls.

Naturally, Violet had a big problem with this.

“A debate?!” she asked, incredulous. “This tranny upstart wants to actually debate me?” she slammed the letter down on her desk. She turned her fury on her advisors. “You all said she was a non-entity! Do these numbers look like the work of a non-entity to you dingbats?” She sat down heavily. “Fine, we'll give her a debate. Get in touch with our friends in the media, we'll schedule it against the big basketball game this coming weekend.” She sighed heavily. “Now, what angles should I pursue against her?” she pondered.

“I think I can help you with that,” came a voice from the doorway. “I have … intimate knowledge of your dear opponent,” said Indigo, stepping into the office. “Allow me to draft some talking points for you.”

* * *

The day of the debate came, and Gem stood nervously backstage, with Raven and Twilight fussing over her. “Relax, just stay on point, and you'll be fine,” Twilight said reassuringly.

“And remember: no matter what type of personal attacks she throws at you, keep your cool and reply with facts about her that we went over last night, okay?”

"Facts, not attacks," Gem says, repeating it. "Facts, not attacks. Facts, not attacks." She takes several more deep breaths. "Thanks girls... I couldn't have a better team." She hugs them both, then a man with a clipboard comes over. "Mrs. Shadow?" he asks. "You're on in 5."

Gem nods, and crosses her fingers. "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this." Then the music starts, and the two candidates walk on stage, shaking each other's hands before going to their podiums.

“Good evening, and welcome to our candidate's debate,” said the moderator from his podium. “Joining us tonight are Scoop Bigley and Anna Serif from the Canterlot Press, and from the East Canterlot Other, Yippee Skip. They will be presenting the candidates with questions this evening. Now, we will grant both candidates time for opening remarks. Miss Shadow, as the challenger, you will speak first.”

Gem gazes at the crowd, seeing her family out in the audience, and smiles warmly. "Thank you, moderator. As I'm sure all of you know, our campaign has been busy, touring different sections of this beautiful city and explaining to everyone why we're running. I'm proud to say that we are making wonderful progress, despite less than stellar media coverage. In brief, our city is facing a choice: the economic crash of eight years ago has devastated our citizenry, except for the top one percent. According to statistics, 90% of all new wealth goes to them, and not the 99%. This CANNOT continue. As a teacher, it breaks my heart to see my students, and in some cases the parents of my students, unable to pay for even basic amenities, let alone textbooks and school supplies. It saddens and sickens me to see that the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people of this city are being discriminated against through no fault of their own, and as mayor I will stop at nothing to put right these grievious wrongs, and ensure that political power remains in the hands of you out in the audience tonight, the voters. Without you, our campaign would not be where it is today, and for that you have my everlasting gratitude." Loud applause met these words, including some whoops and hollers from Melody and Victoria.

“Miss Lulamoon, your rebuttal?” the moderator asked when the noise had died down.

Violet flashes a smug look at Gem, then clears her throat. “Everyone has lofty dreams in regard to what they would do if they were in charge, be it chairperson of the local homeowners' association, or mayor of a great city like Canterlot. Quite often, these dreams conflict with the reality that such dreams are not only expensive, but impractical to be implemented. I am not one with lofty dreams and pie-in-the-sky expectations. My central theme is and always will be, 'Canterlot First.' This will be the overriding theme of my administration. Under a Lulamoon administration, no Canterlot citizen will ever again feel that their needs come second to the citizens of foreign lands."

“My policy will always put the interests of the people of Canterlot and Canterlot security first. In the interests of security on the domestic front, I also believe that our citizens have a right to quiet solitude and to be secure from embarrassment and unwelcome intrusions into their privacy. To that end, I will propose legislation that will define biological sex as the physical condition of being male or female as stated on a person's birth certificate, and to that end, make it illegal to use a restroom in a public place that does not correspond with a person's biological sex. I will also propose legislation to further protect the sanctity of marriage. Marriage has always been a covenant between a man and a woman which is by its nature ordered toward the procreation and education of children and the unity and well-being of the spouses. On the contrary, same-sex marriage is intrinsically sterile. If the 'spouses' want a child, they must circumvent nature by costly and artificial means or employ surrogates. The natural tendency of such a union is not to create families. Therefore, we cannot call a same-sex union a marriage and give it the benefits of marriage.

“Our banking system is still too complex and too risky … While institutions have paid large fines and in some cases admitted guilt, too often it has seemed that the human beings responsible get off with limited consequences – or none at all, even when they’ve already pocketed the gains. This is wrong, and on my watch, it will change.

“I have great plans for making Canterlot great again, and with your help and support, I can achieve that goal for the benefit of all. I thank you.”

Gem gives a Herculean effort to keep herself from falling into a terrible rage. Out in the audience, Raven is doing her best to not punch the nearest Lulamoon supporter in the face, while the girls look like they're about to cry, once it was explained to them what Lulamoon was saying.

Sensing the awkwardness, the moderator moved on. "Thank you, ladies. We will begin on the topic of foreign policy: Director Lulamoon, your opponent has spoken recently about making the immigration process easier rather than harder, to ensure that those who wish to come into the city can do so legally. What plans do you have to curb the recent spike in illegal immigration?"

“We're going to bring people in, but we're going to bring people in legally. When politicians talk about 'immigration reform,' they mean amnesty, cheap labor, and open borders. The last immigration bill was nothing more than a giveaway to the corporate patrons that run our parties.”

“That weasel is stealing Gem's stance on the corporate fatcats that are running the show!” Raven hisses angrily.

“There must be a wall across the southern border. The costs of illegal immigrants has been extraordinary. Our taxpayers have had to pick up hundreds of billions in healthcare and housing costs. Meanwhile, Mexicolt continues to make billions not only on our bad trade deals but also relies heavily on the billions of dollars in remittances sent from illegals here back to Mexicolt. In short, Mexicolt is responsible for this problem and they must help pay to clean it up.” Cheers erupted from the Lulamoon supporters at this statement.

Once the furor had died down, the moderator turned to Gem. “Miss Shadow, how do you respond?”

"Director Lulamoon, I am pleased to learn that you now agree with my stance on income inequality and trade deals," Gem says, looking across the stage at her opponent, "Though I imagine the corporations bank-rolling your campaign, as reported by your most recent election commission filing, will be... shall we say, less than impressed." After the roar of applause that follows, Gem continues. "Your immigration proposal has a few holes, Director. First of all, I can't begin to imagine in what plane of reality the Mexicoltian government would pay for a wall meant to keep them out. I may also remind you that when I talk about immigration reform, I talk about helping the poor, and Mexicolt has as much of a poor probem as we do. If we're going to fix this issue, we need to work with the Mexicoltian government, not against them. And furthermore, as former director of the chamber of commerce, if you don't like those trade deals so much, then why did you vote for them?" Her tone is polite and conversational throughout her entire speech.

Violet wears a tense grin on her face. “Yes, it is true I voted for the trade deals that, in hindsight, I should not have voted for. I waited until the agreement had actually been negotiated because I wanted to give the current administration the benefit of the doubt.” She turned to Gem. “We all have done things we regret later, haven't we?”

"We most certainly do," Gem says coolly. "But I do believe that the matter to which you are referring is something that really shouldn't be discussed on a debate stage. We are running an issue-focused campaign, are we not? And we cannot afford to have such distractions." She turns back to the moderator, and waits expectantly.

The moderator nods. “Miss Serif, your question, please?”

Serif rises. “Thank you. Miss Shadow, as an admittedly transgender person yourself, you seem to have quite the passion for promoting the transgender agenda. How can the citizens of Canterlot trust you to be fair and impartial in matters related to LGBT issues as presented before the council and to you?”

"If, by agenda, you are implying that we are all somehow conspiring to take away your civil liberties, I can assure you that we are planning no such thing. My personal agenda is to raise my daughters as best I can, be elected if the city finds me suitable, and from then on, be the best public servant possible. I believe that people of all genders have a right to marry whom they wish, and to seek health care appropriate to their individual needs at a reasonable price. I believe that the rights of LGBT people are basic human rights, and if we block those, then it says very bad things about who we are as a city. I will use my best judgment in deciding whether not to sign or veto a bill that comes before my desk, regardless of my transgender status. It is only logical." She smiles calmly and sips from the water bottle beside her.

“That is a very noble sentiment, coming from someone who clearly couldn't handle the pressures of being born male,” Violet said coolly. “I do agree that these issues are very touchy, and have even driven families apart because of their divisive nature. Again, something my esteemed challenger has experienced first-hand, so I have been told by a very informed source. I, too, will use my best judgment regarding legislation, but I will also stick to my beliefs and those of my constituents to protect their rights also.”

Raven took note at Violet's statement. “Wait, by 'informed source,' you don't suppose...” Her eyes widened. “Oh, if that no-good, evil, slimy … “

* * *

Victoria whispered to Melody, “I think Mom's talking about Bad Grandma again...”

"Funny, you sound like my mother," Gem comments, sounding completely casual in an effort to disguise her rage. "It would not surprise me to learn she's been working with you, I know her tactics very well."

The moderator breaks in at that moment, "And I think that now is a good time for a commercial break, we'll be back after these messages."

Once certain that the cameras are off, the two candidates face each other, away from the podiums. Gem's voice is pure ice. "If you thought for a moment that I am a weak, spineless poltroon," she hisses, "then I hope that you are reconsidering your views. I will not allow this contest to devolve into pointless name-calling, but I also will not allow an attack against me, indirect or direct, to go unanswered. Your conduct this evening is absolutely deplorable, Director. You delight in taking veiled shots at me, my family, and my background, and I will -not- stand for it. Do I make myself clear?"

“Or what, you'll blast me with your magical death-ray? Hmmph. Welcome to the world of big-time politics, my dear 'girl,'” Violet sneered, framing the last word with air quotes. “If you can't handle this, how do you expect to face the criticisms you'll be getting from every side day in and day out? Maybe you should grow a pair – oops, I mean, re-grow a pair – or get out of the race, it's only gonna get worse from here on in.”

"With more tact and grace than you've shown this evening, especially just now," Gem replies. "Now, if you'll excuse me... I have to use the ladies' room. If you're uncomfortable of sharing it with me, well, that's your problem."

* * *

Come the morning, the newspapers and TV channels are, in Canterlot at least, filled with declarations that Lulamoon won the debate. Gem is driving the girls to middle school, listening to the coverage on the radio. "Girls, I'm going to use this opportunity Director Lulamoon is giving me to make a point: I know her girls are in your class. And if they're anything like their mother, they will stop at nothing to antagonize you. Don't let them. You're much stronger than that. Do I make myself clear?"

“Tamara and Trisha are really nice to us,” Melody said, “but we'll remember what you said just in case that changes.”

“Yeah, they've never been as mean as their mother is,” echoed Victoria.

Pulling into the drop-off area, both girls kiss Gem. “Bye, Mom, see you this afternoon!” Melody says, and the two girls melt into the throng entering the building. Gem smiles, and makes her way to her campaign office.

She's greeted by Twilight and Emerald in the parking lot. “Great job last night, Gem!” Twilight says, hugging Gem tightly. “Loved the way you didn't stomp Lulamoonbutt into paste on the debate stage!”

"I wanted to," Gem says with a laugh, hugging them back. "Believe me, I wanted to, almost from the moment I heard her opening statement. Her strategy appears to be to do everything possible to make me look bad. Well, we'll put a stop to that!" She smiles. "You know, in a strange way, it's almost like we're back at CHS... another year, another bully to deal with, another burst of magic... but at least there aren't any she-demons this time. No offense, Sunset."

“None taken,” Sunset says, entering the building.

“Well, you definitely are doing something right,” Emerald said. “Not only is the Canterlot Press finally talking about your campaign, but your standing in the polls has risen astronomically! Look at this,” she says, handing Gem a stack of papers. “Not only do most of the voters think you won the debate last night, but you're in a virtual tie with Lulamoon!”

Twilight nods. “Your style is really having an impact with the voters, they admire you for your honesty. In fact, they've rated you as the most trustworthy person running for office!”

Gem smiles, "At last, some good news! Let's hope the trend holds, Districts 1, 2, and 3 all vote tonight!" She hugs her friends again, then happily skips up the stairs to her office.

Sure enough, that day the campaign offices for both teams are as busy as ever, calling and knocking on doors to make sure everyone gets out to vote. An hour before the polls close, Gem, her family, and all her friends from CHS host a results watch party at Shadowfall. The house is full as the younger girls, Allegro, Libretto, Cantata, Regina, and Ruby all play with Melody and Victoria, practicing what magic they can.

Gem smiles as she watches the kids play, then wiggles her fingers, causing a cup of tea to float over to her. "Isn't that the most beautiful thing you've ever seen, Raven?"

“Anyone that says we aren't a true family can kiss my well-toned behind,” Raven says.

“First results coming in,” Twilight announces. “District One, with 1 percent of the precincts reporting, so far it looks like Lulamoon is winning there.”

“I don't believe this! The Press has already called the election for Lulamoon! And with hardly any votes counted!” Emerald says in disbelief.

“Social media is lighting up,” Sunset announces. “We're hearing lots of stories about our supporters being turned away or given the wrong ballots, and yet Lulamoon supporters are having no problems at all...”

The Trottingham advisors immediately get on their cell phones.

"Sounds like electioneering to me," Gem says, frowning. "Suppressing the vote... trying to ensure a coronation after all." She shakes her head. "Twilight, what can we do to stop them? Preferably without resorting to litigation?"

“The advisors your father sent are already working on it, they think they have something,” Twilight replied.

* * *

Across town, at the Celestial Arms, the Lulamoon campaign election party was in full swing. Violet and her advisors huddled around a television, watching the reports coming in with great interest.

“ … this just in, the Shadow campaign has spoken to the Canterlot election board regarding irregularities at many of the polling places, especially in the low-income and ethnic neighborhoods … “

Violet looked unconcerned. “I see our election friends are following instructions. Can it be traced back to us?” she asked.

“No, you're in the clear,” replied one of her advisors.

There came a rather insistent knock at the door. “See who that is,” Violet ordered a staffer.

As the staffer opened the door, several men in suits, along with a couple of uniformed police officers, stormed into the room. “Elections board,” announced one of the suited men. “Violet Lulamoon, you are charged with interfering with an official election and vote-tampering. You'll have to accompany the officers to the police station.”

* * *

“... and in a strange turn of events, the campaign party for mayoral candidate Violet Lulamoon was disrupted when the candidate was taken away in handcuffs by Canterlot police and election officials. Through her attorney, she vowed to continue the good fight and said this was only a minor setback, and once the situation was resolved, she would resume her campaign with great vigor,” came the announcement over the television. Gem and her staff sat in shock.

"I can't believe it," Gem says in astonishment. "A minor setback?! If this was any other candidate, they'd be calling for her immediate exit from the race!"

"When your name is Lulamoon, anything is possible," Adagio snarks.

"In good news," Twilight says, "Looks like you're doing amazingly in districts 2 and 3!"

“My goodness, Twilight, that's an understatement! Gem's got those locked up tight!” Emerald said excitedly. All eyes turned to the television.

“And, with more than half the votes counted in Districts Two and Three, we are declaring that Gemini Shadow has won both of those districts by a huge margin.”

Wild applause fills the room as everyone cheers, claps, hollers, and generally celebrates.

A few hours later, Gem gives her victory speech from the back deck of her house, with the girls playing in the background. "I thank the good people of tonight's districts who gave our campaign two wins in Districts 2 and 3, and voted for us in District 1. Your message is clear: our political revolution has only just begun, and if the rest of the city has a yuuuuuge turnout, we can win the election and bring much needed change to this beautiful city!"

“In related news,” said the newscaster, “charges of vote tampering are being formally lodged against Violet Lulamoon, after the admission from a poll worker in District One reported that she was paid an undisclosed sum to dispose of any ballots for Gemini Shadow. The worker was caught at a Dumpster outside the polling place with a box of marked ballots. That district is now under hand recount. Turning to sports .. “

* * *

Six months later however, the mood of the Shadow campaign was less jubilant. Lulamoon won Districts 4, 5, 6, and 7, and while Gem could add 8 and 9 to her total, she still had a two hundred delegate deficit.

That night at the debate, the subject of Gem's magical powers came up. Anna Serif asked her question: "Director Lulamoon, several times on the stump, you have spoken out against users of magical weaponry. Could you explain what exactly that term entails?"

Violet looked distraught. “I know, all too well, unfortunately, what magic can do in unregulated form. Magic is just as dangerous as any type of conventional weapon we currently have, and to allow it to be made into a weapon, accessible by anyone, is unthinkable at best. Magic needs to be removed from distribution, and all those that currently hold magical weapons need to be tightly regulated. Please, let us not have another tragedy like what happened that day at Canterlot High … the day I lost my dear and beloved Trixie...” She backs away from the microphone, dabbing at her eyes.

"You know, Director Lulamoon," said Gem, "I honestly thought that as a mother, you would not stoop to use your own child's death to score political points. I will tell you here and now that the weapon to which you refer wasn't a weapon as such, it was a malignant entity from another dimension, and it was soundly dealt with later that very same day." She turns back to the moderators and audience. "Magic isn't like gun bullets, or arrows, or nuclear bombs. It is a form of energy that can neither be created nor destroyed, as the laws of physics tell us. It cannot be removed from distribution because it exists, fundamentally, within the DNA of those who are lucky enough to use it. I know because I have magic within me, as does my wife, as do our children, and my friends from CHS, and their children."

"Would you provide us with a demonstration of this... magic?" asks Serif, complete with air quotes.

"Certainly," Gem says, and she closes her eyes. Moments later she rises into the air, spinning like a top as her hair lengthens to resemble a pony's tail, and pony ears replace her human ones. Gasps fill the auditorium.

Landing, Gem transforms her water bottle and the podium into a cup of tea and a writing desk respectively with a snap of her fingers and then back again. "Do you see? Magic is not inherently bad, nor is it inherently good, the power lies in the hands of the users."

As the applause dies down, Yippee stands up. “Yeah, so like, Missus Lulamoon, um, there's this, like, big oil company, and they wanna start fracking for oil out in the, like, way out part of the city, you know? So, like, if you were the mayor, would you, like, grant them a permit for this, and what would your reason be?”

“I believe Mister Skip is asking you if you support fracking,” the moderator clarified.

Violet nodded. “We have to face, head-on, the legitimate, pressing environmental concerns about fracking and other new extraction practices and their impacts on local water, soil, and air supplies. Methane leaks in the production and transportation of natural gas are particularly troubling. So, it's crucial that we put in place smart regulations and enforce them, including deciding not to drill when the risks are too high. When any locality is against it, when the release of methane or contamination of water is present, and unless we can require that anybody who fracks has to tell us exactly what chemicals they are using, I could not in any good conscience support it. And, until those conditions are met, we have to regulate everything that is currently underway, and we have to have a system in place that prevents further fracking. By the time we get through all of my conditions, I do not think there will be many places where fracking will continue to take place.” She stepped back from the microphone.

“Mrs. Shadow, do you support fracking?” asked the moderator.

"No," Gem says simply, taking another sip of water. "I notice however that my opponent nodded. That should tell you all you need to know."

The applause was deafening. Violet made every effort to show that she was unperturbed by this.

The moderator asks another question. "Director Lulamoon, while the new health care plan under the current administration has been somewhat successful, your opponent is calling for a radical new plan that removes insurance companies from the equation. Would you like to respond?"

Violet smirks. “All I can really say is that her unworkable, and completely irrational, plan is only going to hurt the citizens of this fair city and put more burden on the average person to pay outrageous hospital bills. What we need is to not only continue the plan we have in place now, but to expand it more with more input from the insurers who are carrying the burden.”

"At least I have a plan," Gem said from her podium. "Which, for those of you who are wondering, can be viewed on our campaign website under the heading, "Medicare for All." Director Lulamoon does not appear to have written hers yet, if she's so busy attacking mine and promising vague platitudes, rather like the inverse of the Tories ... I'm sorry, Republicans, when they talk about repealing the new health care law. Perhaps she might discuss her plan with her advisors, when she isn't busy giving speeches to banking firms or being bankrolled by those same insurance companies that my plan would remove from the equation."

* * *

Word spread on social media at first, until it was finally picked up by major news networks. On the evening news one night came the reports: “The Shadow campaign has alleged that the Lulamoon campaign improperly accessed its voter data on Wednesday, allowing Lulamoon staffers to download lists of known Shadow voters and ensure that those votes were not counted during the elections in Districts 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7.”

“In addition, the Shadow campaign has accused the Lulamoon campaign of violating campaign finance laws. At a press conference today, campaign director Twilight Sparkle was quoted as saying: “Violet Lulamoon says that campaign finance reform is one of the most important issues facing our country but her campaign’s use of the Victory Fund to essentially launder money proves otherwise. You cannot exploit a broken campaign finance system one day and vow to get big money out of politics the next.”

The next night, a hashtag gained prominence on social media: #DropOutLulamoon, spread by online supporters of the Shadow campaign. When asked, Gem herself released a statement: “I do not believe Mrs. Lulamoon should drop out, and I will not ask her to. As we have seen on the Republican side in recent days, a victory gained by such tactics is hardly a victory at all, only a coronation. If, after the primaries, the voters of Canterlot choose my opponent, I will of course concede the race. However, I would expect that the Lulamoon campaign to do the same if we are to win. The people’s voice deserves to be heard, whether they support me or her. Thank you.”

* * *

“I'm staring right at it, Gem,” Sunset said, pointing to a series of numbers on her monitor. “And not just once, but after each update. Someone's accessing our files, collecting voter data, and they're either being completely bold about it because they think they'll never get caught, or they're a bunch of script kiddies that don't know jack about using proxies.”

"Track their IP address," Gem says. "If it's near where the Lulamoon campaign has its headquarters, then we'll have proof that one of their staffers is doing this." She looks to Emerald. "The mainstream media will ignore us, but put the word out to our supporters in the blogosphere and online."

Emerald gives her the thumbs up. "You've got it, boss!"

“I've done that already,” Sunset says, “and yes, I saved the logs from each attempt so we have a paper trail. No doubt about it, it's from the Lulamoon headquarters, all at the same time each time. So, someone knows the best time to access the database, but the real question is, how are they getting in without a logon?”

“Wait a minute,” Twilight says, having an epiphany. “How long has this been happening for, again?”

“About three weeks now,” Sunset says.

“And that intern we had, the one that was all gung-ho and 'Shadow all the way' … he abruptly left when?”

Connecting the dots, Sunset reached into her laptop bag and pulled out a flash drive. Inserting it into a USB port on the computer, she waited until the computer recognized the drive, then ran a program. Instantly, a warning flashed on Sunset's monitor. “So that's how they're doing it … that smarmy sunuvagun put a Trojan on here, lets him access without going through the usual login for remote access!”

“But, how does this all tie in with last Wednesday, when we actively caught Lulamoon's goons poking through our system?” asked Emerald.

Sunset and Twilight looked at each other. “Guess who 'discovered' the breach,” Sunset deadpanned.

"Of course," Twilight realizes. "He must have been a mole the entire time, sent by her campaign to neutralize us!"

"The news is starting to spread," reports Emerald. "I wouldn't check out some of the comments on those hashtags though... lots of anti-Shadow, anti-LGBT rhetoric from her supporters. The Republicans are having the time of their lives though."

* * *

“In the world of politics,” intoned the news anchor on the television several nights later, “The Canterlot Bureau of Investigation has launched an official investigation into allegations made by the Shadow campaign that staffers from the Lulamoon campaign are deliberately downloading lists of Shadow supporters and passing those lists to precinct registrars, with instructions to remove those names from the voter rolls or change their party affiliations to make them ineligible for voting in the primary elections.” The scene shifted to a video o0f a young man wearing a Lulamoon T-shirt being led into the local police station in handcuffs. “Police today, acting on a tip provided by Shadow campaign IT director Sunset Shimmer, raided the home of known computer hacker identified by only his online name of 'Megabyte'. Several computers and dozens of removable disks and portable hard drives were confiscated during the raid. He is accused of illegal access of a computer, interference with an election, and conspiracy to commit election fraud. He is being held without bail, being classified as a 'flight risk.'”

“At least the people know about the dirty tricks she's using now,” Emerald said, dropping newspapers onto Gem's desk. “Thanks to the news report last night, plus all the ink this is getting today, it's a wonder she's still running. Look here,” she says, picking up the Canterlot Daily News, “says here 'Miss Lulamoon is expected to be interviewed by CBI officers within the next few days,' and it gets even better. 'A source close to the investigation says indictments are expected to be handed down, including several top players in the Lulamoon camp.' Rumors are ol' Violet herself could be facing one as well.”

"Nevertheless," Gem says, looking through the papers, "I will not call for her to drop out. Damaged goods she may be, but the people deserve a voice. We're taking this to the convention whether they like it or not."

* * *

The final night of primary elections comes with Districts 16-20 all voting in their respective primaries. Once considered to be Lulamoon strongholds, Gem manages to win all 5 in large landslides.

In a speech to supporters, Lulamoon is the angriest she's ever been: "The allegations made against my campaign by the Shadow campaign are absolutely deplorable," she shouts, as the crowd (or what's left of it) cheers. "I demand that she drop out of the race! We will not yield! We will not concede! The superdelegates will put us over the top, and we will win this nomination!"

Across town, Gem lays out the scope of the problem: "In case you don't know, and you haven't seen the latest polls, the Canterlotian people hold the current administration in contempt, they hold the city council in contempt, they hold the Republican Party in contempt, they hold the Democratic Party in contempt. They think that maybe given all the crises facing this country, it’s about time there was some bold leadership here and that the leaders of the city make some hard choices!" She bangs her fist on the lectern. "But! There is a light at the end of the tunnel! Tonight has been a historic night for our campaign, and for the people of Canterlot! Tonight, I can tell you that we, the people, have effectively won the Democratic nomination! No more will the mayor's office and the city council be beholden to corporate interests, no more will education be considered an after thought, no more will lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people will be considered second class citizens, no more! Be proud tonight, because you have done the unthinkable: you have taken on the previously unbeatable Lulamoon political machine and won! I am all incredibly proud of, and thankful for, you and your votes! We literally could not get here without you! Goodnight!" She blows a kiss to the audience, then makes her way off stage.

* * *

The Canterlot Democratic Convention began under the threat by Violet to make this a contested convention, despite the fact that Gem had won the popular vote and garnered the lion's share of pledged delegates. In a scene eerily reminiscent of a similar convention almost fifty years earlier, protesters marched outside the convention hall, but in a complete turn from those turbulent times, the police weren't actively clubbing protesters or turning high-pressure water hoses on them.

The pledged delegates made their votes known, and the people inside and outside the hall waited anxiously for word on how the superdelegates would vote. It was reported that, if the votes went the way Violet's campaign wanted them to go, she could win the nomination by no more than two votes.

In a separate room, away from the noise of the main hall, Gem sat with her closest friends and family. “Gem do you really think the superdelegates are going to be stupid enough to vote for Violet?” Raven asked, massaging Gem's shoulders.

"It's a good question," Gem says with a sigh. "I do know that while I will concede the race if they do, I will not endorse her. I refuse to endorse her. Director Lulamoon is a truly appalling candidate, and an even worse person. Regardless..." She hugs each of them all in turn, "Thank you, all of you, for supporting me in this campaign. I love you all, and I am very thankful for the work you've put in." She ponies up, but doesn't notice.

A raucous cheer arose, audible even in the room Gem was in. The door burst open, and Twilight ran inside, quickly closing the door and shutting out the din of the main hall. “Gem! It's happening! The superdelegates have voted, and you got the nod! You're gonna be the candidate in the mayoral election!! Got your acceptance speech ready?”

Emerald ran in from the other room, where she had been watching the television coverage. “Every single one of them voted for you! Even the ones that were supposed to be deep in Violet's pockets! Congratulations, Gem!!”

Gem takes it out. "I do!" She hugs Twilight and Emerald both, then goes out to the main floor. Cheers of "GEMINI! GEMINI! GEMINI!" fill the air. Gem smiles to all of them and begins her speech. "I would like to thank the citizens of Canterlot for getting us this far, and I would like to thank the good people of this convention for assisting us! Without you, none of this would be possible, and you have my everlasting gratitude. Our campaign has pledged to restore the voice of democracy to the citizens of Canterlot, and this nomination, and the fall campaign, are just the first steps. I accept the nomination to be the Democratic nominee for Mayor of Canterlot!" Once the applause dies down, she continues. "But I cannot do this alone. I will need a city council that is as ready to listen to the voices of the people as I am, and there are many candidates like myself running for those positions! I urge you all to vote for them as well. You have proven the impossible is possible once already, and you can do so again! Thank you, and goodnight!"

* * *

Months passed, and the real work of campaigning began in earnest from the day Gem accepted the nomination. The Republican candidate, Dunsel Frump, took every cheap shot he could at Gem's campaign, and even at Gem herself. Gem refused to stoop to such tactics, running the same style of campaign she had run against Violet Lulamoon.

In the end however, it all came to ahead on November 8th, election day. As the population of Canterlot braved the cold to vote, it was announced that all the districts that went for Lulamoon in the primaries went for Frump that night, and all the districts that went for Gem did so again, but by even larger margins than before. Gemini was announced as mayor-elect at 23 minutes past 11:00 that night.

Finally, inauguration day came. There were parades, a concert, and many speeches, but the best of all came from Gem herself: "I have spoken a lot during the campaign, and I believe those of you in the audience can recite my speech by heart. With that in mind, all I have to say is this: let the work of government begin."

Azul Shadow smiled and embraced his granddaughters, "I knew she could do it."


	18. Universal Constants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem and Orion have a conversation about what it means to be real.

A grey furred unicorn with a pcoketwatch on the flank trotted through Ponyville, headed toward a very particular manor house. The pony was female, and had a long brown mane and tail, with a flower placed near her left ear. Like most ponies, she wore no clothes, as she had her fur coat to keep her warm. Her name was Gemini, or Gem for short.

After about ten minutes or so, she found the [house](http://bit.ly/2gNM22P) she was looking for. It was smaller than most manors she’d known, but that suited her just fine, and she knew it did the same for the pony who lived there. After all, they were technically the same. She quickly climbed the steps that led up to the front door and lifted a forehoof, knocking four times.

The door opened a few minutes later, to reveal a handsome grey furred unicorn with the same brown mane and tail, the same green eyes, and the same cutie mark as the mare standing on the porch. He smiled. “Ah, Gemini! What a delight to see you! Please come in!” He moved aside for her.

“It’s good to see you too, Orion,” said Gem, smiling back. “How are you and Raven doing?”

“We’re wonderful, thank you!” Orion answered. “She’s in Manehattan at the moment, doing a show on Bridleway.” He led Gem into the sitting room. “And you two?”

“Splendid,” Gem replied, giving her tail a happy swish as she sat down, like a human rather than like a pony. “We’ve moved to Baltimare so I can spend a year student teaching. I'll be at one of the elementary schools there!”

Orion nodded. “Congratulations then, my dear! You must be excited!” He pulled a rope which dangled from the ceiling, and a bell rang. 

Moments later, a changeling drone wearing a simple white and black tuxedo entered. “You called, Orion?” Steno Pad asked, smiling.

“Could you get us some tea please, Steno?” Orion asked. 

Steno took notice of Gem and nodded. “Got it. Normal for you, and a splash of milk and two sugars for Gem. Be back in a bit!” He flew off, his wings making a quiet buzzing noise.

“I always forget you like yours prepared differently than mine,” Orion admitted, looking back to Gem.

“Parallel worlds are strange that way,” Gem said, shrugging. “It's just as well there are some differences between us!”

“I must admit, however, while happy as I am you’ve come to visit, I have to ask why,” Orion said. “You’re carrying yourself in a way that suggests you aren’t here purely to pay a social call.”

“And I’m not,” Gem admitted, playing with her forehooves. “Recently, I found myself transposed with another counterpart of ours… another me. She looked human, like me, but said she was from Equestria, like you… in fact, she said she was your clone.”

Orion’s eyes got very wide. “My _clone_? Good grief! What was her life like?”

“She was a ship captain,” Gem answered. “She swapped placed with me, and I with her. I woke up aboard her ship, interacted with her crew… and when I returned home, I started to wonder: are we,” she gestured to herself and Orion, “some sort of universal constant?”

Orion shrugged as Steno entered the room with two teacups. He took a sip of his tea, then said, “It is hard to say… I’m not much for trans-dimensional traveling, after all. I assume you’ve glimpsed other worlds beyond yours and mine?”

“Several,” Gem replied, sipping her tea. “In one, you were a robot. In another, my friends and I were robots. In a third, we were humanoid ponies. In a fourth, Sunset and our Twilight existed, but Raven and I did not, and our Shadowbolts attended CHS.”

Orion whistled. “It sounds like you’ve been to quite a few worlds, Gem. I’ve only been to one, that of the New Lunar Republic. In that world, Carrie is our equivalent, and their Princess Luna banished Celestia to the sun, rather than the other way around. But when I think about it… I suppose there is some truth to your theory. Why do you ask?”

“Well…” Gem looked down at the ground. “I told you about what happened when the remnants of Nightmare Moon came to Earth, didn’t I?”

Orion nodded. “You did.”

Gem continued. “After all of that, when I was recovering in that psychiatric ward… I had a terrible nightmare in which I didn’t exist. Raven and Princess Twilight tried to stop Sunset from marching on Equestria, but without me, they were killed… Sunset came through the portal, and though I never saw what happened on the other side, I can only imagine it was terrible. But that’s not all… the Dazzlings came and took over Earth, easily gaining their powers back since there was no one to defeat them. The next thing I knew, I watched Longhaul and my cousin Carrie work for them as slaves, while secretly leading a resistance group.”

“And all because you weren’t there to stop Sunset,” Orion whispered. “My word… I dare not imagine what Equestria might be like were I not there to protect it.”

Gem thought this over. “Actually, I think you’d be okay. After all, you’ve got the Element Bearers. All Earth has is me, Raven, and the rest of the girls.”

Orion placed his hoof atop Gem’s and smiled at her. “And you're all Earth needs, my dear. If you really are the glue holding that place together, then your world truly is in safe hooves. I mean, hands.”

Gem laughed. “Indeed!”

* * *

Some hours later, Gem had returned home, and she now sat in the master bedroom of the condo, staring pensively through the window. Raven, who was sitting on the bed half dressed, looked over at her wife. “Alright, what’s bugging you?” she asked. “You’ve been really quiet ever since you got back from pony land!”

“Oh, just thinking about our place in the wider multiverse,” Gem replied, turning away from the window and going to sit beside Raven. She laced her light grey fingers with her wife’s lavender ones. “In some worlds, we are human, in others we are not. Sometimes we’re married, other times we’re siblings… if every choice we make creates its own reality, are we truly real?”

Raven chuckled and pulled Gem into a hug. “Yeah, I’d say so. There might be an infinite number of Gemini Shadows out there, but I didn’t marry them. I married _you_.” She booped the other woman’s nose. “So, visit other worlds if you want, but don’t worry too much about ‘em. _This_ world is enough for me!”

Gem laughed softly and pulled the covers up over herself and Raven. “I’m so glad we met, Raven… I need someone to keep me tied to the ground.”

“Otherwise you’d go flying into the sky,” Raven teased. “G’night, Gem.”

“Goodnight, Raven,” Gem said, turning out the light with her magic.


	19. Autumn Leaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunset and Gem go to Equestria and participate in the Running of the Leaves.

Crisp autumn leaves crunched beneath Sunset’s boots as she walked through the Everfree forest. It was the first official day of fall, and the air felt cool against her skin as she wandered. She wore a bright yellow t-shirt with a pink skirt and orange belt, accentuated with her usual black jacket. The trees around her had turned various bright shades of red, orange, and yellow, all of which complimented her skin and hair quite nicely.

“I’ve always liked fall best,” Sunset said to her friend, Gemini Shadow. The grey-skinned girl was wearing a dark red sweater and black jeans, and had her hands in her pockets as she walked. “The crispness of the air, the smell of apples and pumpkins, the Running of the Leaves... there’s nothing really quite like fall in Equestria.”

“It sounds delightful,” Gem commented, smiling slightly. “What’s the running of the leaves?” 

“Well, you know how I told you that in Equestria, we ponies take care of weather patterns?” Sunset asked. At Gem’s nod, she continued. “We’re responsible for changing the seasons too. Every year at around September, every city in Equestria has a Running of the Leaves. It’s a big race from one part of town to the other, and since everypony can participate, the sounds of our hooves hitting the ground repeatedly causes the leaves to fall off the trees.”

“I see!” Gem smiled some more. “That sounds like fun! I take it you participated?”

Sunset nodded. “Every year. I always won, of course. I tried to do it when I came to Earth, but it didn’t really work out very well…” She blushed and ran a hand through her hair.

“Would it be possible to experience a running of the leaves now?” Gem asked. “I mean, now that we can visit Equestria whenever we wish…”

Sunset chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, we can go. Sometimes I think you take every opportunity you can to go to Equestria!”

“Well, you ponies are just so interesting!” Gem pointed out. “I love learning about new cultures!”

“You’ll have plenty of time for that where we’re going!” Sunset said with a grin. “We can enter Ponyville’s race together! Since you’ve kept up your fitness regimen, I think we stand a good chance at winning!”

Gem blushed slightly and flexed her arms. Sure enough, the muscles she’d developed over two years of weekly exercising with Sunset rippled through the fabric of her sweater. “Yes, I suppose we do!” 

“Come on, let’s hurry!” Sunset called, taking off at a good jog. “If we get to the portal in time, we’ll still be able to sign up!”

* * *

“The Running of the Leaves, huh?” said Princess Twilight, giving an amused smile at the two unicorns who just left the mirror portal. “Does that ever take me back! I ran it the first year I lived in Ponyville, and got fifth place! All thanks to what I read in _The Egghead’s Guide to Running_!” Her smile faded slightly. “I’ve wanted to run it again, but things keep cropping up, and now that I’m a princess, I’m simply too busy to participate!” She took a few deep breaths, then smiled again. “I’m glad you two want in on it though.”

“It was mostly Gem’s idea,” Sunset admitted, pointing a hoof at Gem, who blushed and crossed her forelegs. “She’s never seen one before, and wanted to know what it was like!”

Twilight nodded. “She sounds just like me back then! I’ll have to tell you all about it tonight.” Then she held up a clipboard in her magic. “But first, you two have to sign up! Lucky for you, I can at least _organize_ the race, even if I can’t participate in it directly.”

Sunset signed her name with a quill pen, as did Gem.

Sunset smiled. “Your quillwork has gotten really good, Gem! If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were born a unicorn!”

Gem blushed again. “Well, I do have a great teacher! Besides, I find it helps to imagine a hand holding the pen.”

“The race is in a couple days,” Twilight said, putting the clipboard back. “So you two will have a bit of time to practice!”

“I think we’ll both need it,” Sunset commented, looking herself and Gem over. “It’s been years since I’ve run on four legs, and I know Gem never has, so we have a lot to do.”

“Why don’t you go see Rainbow Dash and Applejack?” Twilight suggested. “I’m sure they’d be happy to help!”

“Excellent idea, Twilight!” Gem said happily, swishing her tail. “Let’s go!”

* * *

“So, you two’re lookin’ to get some exercise for the Runnin’ of the Leaves, huh?” said Applejack, as she bucked an apple tree, which caused the apples to fall into the surrounding baskets. She smiled at Gem and Sunset. “You’ve come to the right place!”

“Hey AJ, I just had an idea,” Rainbow suggested. “Why don’t we put ‘em through the Iron Pony competition?”

“Rainbow, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Sunset asked. “I mean, I’d probably be okay, but Gem’s not been a pony for very long.”

Gem placed a consoling hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about me, Sunset,” she said, smiling. “This is the best way for me to get used to an equine form soon enough for the race. I’ll do it!”

Rainbow grinned. “Awesome! Tell you what, the Wonderbolts have the month off, I’ll go get Spitfire and the others and they can be the judges!” The two unicorns nodded their assent, and Dash flew off.

* * *

With Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts acting as their impartial judges, Gem and Sunset were put through their paces. Though both girls put up a good fight, in the end, Sunset was victorious, which Gem contributed to her being born a pony, whereas she was merely a human in a pony body. Even so, that didn't stop Pinkie from throwing a party in their honor at Sugarcube Corner that night.

As they trotted back to the castle after a long night, Gem yawned, swaying on her hooves. "I'm exhausted..." she said, just barely covering her mouth with a hoof. "That was far beyond what I usually do with you!"

"No kidding," Sunset agreed, opening the castle doors with her magic and heading inside. "Is it any wonder Spitfire is a gym coach in our world? Equestria's Spitfire isn't that different!"

"Even so, I feel more than ready to tackle the running of the leaves," Gem finished. "Or I will tomorrow." She smiled, and yawned again. "Goodnight, Sunset."

"Night Gem," Sunset replied, waving. "Sleep well." The two mares parted ways.

* * *

The morning of the race dawned bright, clear, and crisp. A chill wind blew through Gem's fur as she and Sunset headed toward Whitetail Woods, where the race would be held. Most of the town was already there, including the pony versions of some of their classmates.

High above their heads, a cheerful voice announced: "Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to the annual Running of the Leaves! This is Pinkie Pie, your official eye-in-the-sky announcer! As everypony knows, the Running is a very important tradition, for without it, the autumn leaves of Equestria would never fall. So get ready, ponies! The Running of the Leaves will begin in five minutes!"

"Hey, you two!" said a voice. Raven Shadow, or at least the pony version of Gem's girlfriend, waved, stretching her hooves as she did so. "Ready to bring on the fall?"

"We are indeed!" Gem said happily. "I didn't know you were competing, Raven!"

The purple earth pony nodded. "Oh yeah, I do it every year! Usually I run with Orion, but he got called away on urgent business again, so it's just me this time." She smiled. "Good luck!"

"Thank you!" Sunset replied. "You two!" At a signal, the gathered ponies lined up on the start line, then at the sound of an airhorn, they took off.

* * *

Despite the amount of time they’d spent practicing, neither Sunset nor Gem were anywhere close to placing first, or indeed in the top 10. This didn’t bother them much though, since winning the race didn’t actually lead to prizes, beyond a simple medal.

In the end, Gem, Raven, and Sunset wound up chatting in a corner booth at Sugarcube Corner, with cups of coffee in their hooves. “So, how’d you two do?” Raven asked, blowing on her drink.

“I placed 11th,” Sunset said, “and Gem placed 23rd.”

“Sunset had an easier time of it than me,” Gem admitted. “Since she was born here, after all. Running on four legs is hard when you’ve only had them a few days, I kept tripping over my own tail!”

Raven laughed. “Hey, I don’t think you two have anything to worry about. I placed seventh, but really, what matters is we got the leaves down!”

“I’ll say,” said Sunset, taking a long sip of her drink. “It’s been _years_ since I did one of these… not since I moved to Gem’s world, in fact.”

“Can I come visit sometime?” Raven asked. “I’ve heard a lot about it from you two and from Princess Twilight, but I’ve always wanted to see it for myself!”

Gem chuckled. “Sometime soon, yes. I shall have to arrange things with my Raven first, but I’m sure we can get you to come over soon.” She finished her drink and stood up. “Shall we be getting home, Sunset?”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah, I think so. See ya ‘round, Raven!” The three mares hugged, then Gem and Sunset trotted back toward the castle, and from there, back to Earth.


	20. Diamonds and Gemstones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem and Rarity come together and begin forming a friendship.

A month had passed since the Rubies and the Rainbooms had combined their talents and won the novel writing contest. As a sign of warming relations between the two, a girl from each group had begun spending more time with their counterparts. Sonata, for example, spent an afternoon with Pinkie, while Raven, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack had a three-person triathlon to see who was the strongest girl. 

[Rarity](https://derpibooru.org/1370500) had been busy looking over some designs for her autumn line when she got the letter in the mail. The mailman had simply dropped the usual supply of advertisements, bills, catalogs, and such through the slot in her door, and ordinarily, she wouldn’t have given them any attention if her little sister, [Sweetie Belle](https://derpibooru.org/983857), hadn’t said “Hey Rarity! There’s a letter for you in here!”

Rarity sat up, taking off her orange glasses and looking surprised. “Oh my! Is this _true?_ Whoever could be writing to me?” She speed-walked through her [boutique](http://bit.ly/2vAbrpp) to the front door.

Sweetie handed her sister the envelope, and Rarity took it, opening it with her letter opener: “To Miss Rarity Belle: You have been cordially invited to take tea with the Lady Gemini Shadow, at four o’clock on Saturday the 9th of September. Her address is 76 Totter’s Lane, Canterlot, MD. To confirm your attendance, kindly send back your reply using the provided envelope. Regards, Steno Pad.”

Rarity gasped. “That’s tomorrow! And I don’t have anything to wear! But of course I shall come! Good gracious, I had no idea she was titled… she’s a member of the nobility! Don’t you realize what this means, Sweetie Belle?!”

Sweetie blinked a few times. “That you’re gonna go hang out with someone richer than us?”

Rarity chuckled. “Partially, yes. But if she is a noble, she must have connections, and if she has connections, I’ll be able to expand my client base!” She clapped her hands and bounced once. “Oooh, this could be the moment I’ve been waiting for! No more will I have to take commissions around Canterlot, I can expand my business around the eastern seaboard, maybe even the rest of the country!” She produced a pen and quickly wrote out her response, then handed the re-sealed envelope to her sister. “Drop this in the mailbox outside, won’t you?”

“Sure sis,” said Sweetie, taking the envelope. “I’m gonna go hang out with Scoots and Bloom, see you!” And she ran off.

* * *

Rarity's car pulled into the driveway of Shadowfall Manor the following afternoon. As she turned off the engine and climbed out to look around, she whistled. "My my... were it not for the fact that the owner is such a kind person, I'd almost be intimidated..." She walked up the front steps, grabbed the brass door knocker in one pure-white hand, and knocked.

The door swung open a few minutes later to reveal Gem, her hair neatly brushed, a mild amount of makeup on her face, and wearing a warm smile in addition to her favorite blue sweater and black jeans. "Ah, Ms. Rarity! Welcome!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you properly, your ladyship," said Rarity, entering.

Gem smiled. "Oh, don't be so formal! We're just girls!" She took Rarity's hand and led her to the sitting room. "I've been wanting to talk to you for a while now! Come, make yourself at home!" She sat down on a couch and gestured to a tray, which had two tea cups, a kettle, and two plates of cookies.

Rarity poured herself a cup of tea. "What would you like to know, darling?" she asked curiously.

Gem thought for a moment as she poured her own cup, "Let's see... well, I assume you know about the Moondancer incident, yes?”

Rarity nodded in confirmation. “I do indeed… as a matter of fact, she called me the night before she put her plan into action… I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen to reason, or anything else. After Cadance’s reforms, she was the only girl at CPA still interested in revenge. She transferred out, as you know, and…”

“And proceeded to tempt my friends away from me by positioning herself as my better,” Gem added, dipping a cookie into her tea. “When her plan failed, what did she do?”

“She came back to Crystal Prep,” Rarity replied. “And though she kept trying to study the magic you and your friends have, it didn’t go anywhere. Eventually, she gave up.” She took another sip of her tea. “But that wasn't the only change we experienced this year…”

* * *

A sophomore boy of sixteen walked through the front doors of Crystal Prep, flanked on either side of him by Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, sisters of Rarity and Applejack. He had soft orange skin and moderate pink hair, and his name was Scootaloo.

“Nervous?” asked Sweetie Belle, turning to her friend.

Scootaloo shook his head and grinned confidently. “No way!” he said, in a voice that had already begun to deepen after weeks of testosterone injections. 

Apple Bloom gave him a thumbs-up. "You've got us in case anyone tries anything funny!"

As she spoke, Rainbow Dash appeared in the hall, bouncing a soccer ball as she walked. "Hey Scoots!" she exclaimed, grinning. "You’re a boy, huh?” 

Scootaloo nodded. “Yup. I didn’t even know until that Emerald girl came to our school. I asked her if she ever felt like she'd been born wrong, and she said yes.” He looked up at the rainbow-haired girl worriedly. “Are we still cool?”

Rainbow thought this over. “Yeah, we’re cool.” She smiled, and ruffled Scootaloo’s hair. “Wanna go kick some zombie butt later?”

Scootaloo grinned. “You bet! See you then!” He ran off in the general direction of class, his two best friends following along behind.

* * *

"So, what happened after Scootaloo's big reveal?" Gem asked, smiling.

"I'm glad you asked!" Rarity grinned and took out her phone, showing Gem some pictures of various tasteful suits, designed specifically for trans men and boys. "I've been working on some designs for trans males, as a surprise birthday present for him. I'm thinking of expanding into dresses for trans women, but I haven't any models!"

"Perhaps I could volunteer my services?" Gem offered. "I was a model this past summer." She showed Rarity some photos from that day. "Suri Polomare was there too... do you know her?"

Rarity growled. "Oh, do I _ever_. During the school talent show in our freshman year, she stole the fabric I was working with!"

Gem frowned. "How horrible! What happened to her?"

"She lost the talent show," Rarity replied, smirking. "I won, using only materials I had to hand. I called my collection... Hotel Chic!"

"Ingenious!" Gem clapped approvingly. "Anyway, you'll consider my offer?"

Rarity beamed. "Gemini darling, I don't need to! I accept it immediately!" She took out a measuring tape and her glasses from her purse. "I don't suppose you'd mind if I took your measurements first?"

Gem shook her head. "Please, do!" She stood up so Rarity could get a better view of her.

"I must say," Rarity commented as she stepped around Gem, taking careful notes, "You've filled out wonderfully! How long ago did you start hormone therapy?"

"Roughly four years ago," Gem replied, smiling. "You should've seen me before then! I was a tall, thin, gangly boy dressed like a geography teacher. Fortunately, I've grown out of it!"

Rarity laughed. "You look beautiful, darling. I think we're going to get along splendidly!"

Gem nodded in agreement. "As do I, Rarity, as do I!"

* * *

Carousel Boutique was situated in Inner Canterlot's business district, where it sat alongside restaurants, cafés, and other types of businesses. Gem parked her Aston out on the curb and climbed out, then pushed open the doors. "Rarity? It's me, Gemini!"

"Coooomiiiing!" called out a musical voice. Rarity swept in to the front room, carrying four dresses and four suits in her arms. "I've been up since five AM getting things ready for us!"

"Us?" Gem blinked. "Is there someone else here?"

"That would be me," said a masculine voice. Scootaloo stepped into the room, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. He smiled at Gem. "Name's Scootaloo. Who are you?"

"Gemini Shadow, sir," Gem replied, smiling back. "Rarity has told me all about you, of course! It's a delight to make your acquaintance!”

“Shall we get started, darlings?” Rarity asked, as she hung the outfits neatly from some hangers. “I hope you like them!”

“I totally will!” Scootaloo exclaimed, going over to the suits and looking them over. “These are amazing!”

Rarity blushed. “I try, Scootaloo, I try. Shall we begin?”

Gem clapped her hands and nodded enthusiastically. “Let’s do!”

“Scootaloo, you first,” said Rarity, holding up one of the [suits](http://bit.ly/2vmEj1I) and handing it to him. “You may change in the fitting rooms!” 

Scootaloo took the suit and nodded, then headed off to change. When he came back a few minutes later, he stepped up onto the platform in front of 3 full length mirrors. “How do I look?” he asked.

Rarity put her fingers on her chin, thinking. “In retrospect, I don't think the dress shirt compliments your skin tone as well as I would like… you are, after all, a very pleasant light orange! No, I think you need something with a little more depth.” She went over to a rack and browsed the selection. “Perhaps [this](http://amzn.to/2vmstob)?” She held up a light blue dress shirt.

Scootaloo nodded again and took the offered shirt. “Yeah, I think this'll work!” He hopped down and went to out the new shirt on, then returned. “How about now?”

Rarity cheered and clapped her hands excitedly. “Yes! This is perfect! You look positively delightful!”

Gem nodded, smiling too. “I agree! You look very handsome, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo blushed. “Thanks.”

* * *

The day ended with Gem and Rarity sitting on the balcony attached to Gem’s bedroom, looking over the town spread out below them. In their hands was a glass of wine each, with the bottle resting in an ice-filled bucket.

Rarity looked up at the night sky, awed. “I’ve never seen this many stars before,” she said quietly. “In the downtown area, there aren’t really any at all. All you can see is the moon.”

“Oh, they’re there,” Gem explained, taking a sip of her wine. “It’s the light pollution that hides them from view. A few times a year, Raven and I like to go out to the forests and stargaze… the view from Camp Everfree is truly _magnifique_!”

Rarity giggled. A faint blush had appeared on her ivory cheeks, and Gem wasn’t entirely sure if it was because of the wine, the company, or both. “You know, Gem, you remind me so much of… well, myself,” she said. “You have everything I wanted when I was growing up… my parents had to scrimp and save to send me to Crystal Prep. They weren’t nobles, like your family. They were from Whinnyaoplis, and were the typical suburban couple: a mother who spends her days at home cooking and looking after the children, and a father who works as a plumber, and when he’s not doing that, follows football like a religion. I didn’t want to be anything like them when I grew up, and I’ve done everything possible to ensure that I’m not.” She met Gem’s gaze. “You know, this isn’t even my real accent?”

Gem gasped. “I would never have imagined it! You sound so much like a native Canterlotian, I honestly thought you were born with it!”

Rarity shook her head. “It has… changed, you might say, with the passage of time and total immersion in the city’s wealthier community… my old voice sounded more like… this.” She switched to an accent commonly found in the state of Minnesota. “Hardly desirable for a woman in my line of work, wouldn’t you say?” she asked, still in the same accent.

“ _Most_ people would probably agree with you, but I am not most people,” said Gem. She reached over and took Rarity’s hand in hers, entwining their fingers, making bone-white meet light grey. Then she smiled. “You are radiant, no matter how you speak.”

Rarity blushed more, and said in her normal voice, “Why, thank you, darling. It has been _ever_ so long since anyone has complimented me like that, male or female.”

“An ex-partner, I assume?” Gem asked.

Rarity nodded. “Vladimir “Prince” Blueblood, the niece of your Principals Celestia and Luna. A dozen or so times removed, of course. We dated when we were freshmen, but he broke up with me at the Crystal Ball… that’s our version of your Fall Formal, by the way.”

“Why did he break up with you?” Gem tilted her head curiously. 

“He didn’t like my friends, of course,” Rarity explained. “And then it turned out he was just using me as a trophy. Well, I decided I wasn’t about to stand for such shenanigans, and… retaliated.”

Gem gave Rarity a flat look. “Retaliated.”

Rarity nodded. “I threw a piece of cake at him. When the girls saw what happened, they followed me out and we spent the rest of the night eating donuts at Joe’s. That night, I vowed never to let anyone take advantage of me again, and I became the girl you met at the Games last year.” She heaved a sigh. “Sometimes I wish I’d gone to your school instead, Gem… even though Principal Cadance has done her best to make Crystal Prep less cold, a lot of the students still cling to the old ways… Cinch’s ways. It was her who encouraged me to become what I did… if I’d not listened to her… if I’d had one _tenth_ of the stamina you have… I might be a better person than I am.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Rarity,” said Gem, pulling Rarity into a hug. “You _are_ a wonderful person. You are talented in the realm of design, generous to the end, and a smart, capable leader. You know what the magic of friendship truly is, and the best part? You found it honestly.” Then she kissed Rarity’s cheek.

Rarity gasped softly, her fingers brushing up against the place where Gem’s lips had touched her. “Thank… thank you…” she whispered.

Gem smiled. “You’re welcome, Rarity.”


	21. A New Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the life of Gemini Shadow, written in first-person.

The loud buzzing of my alarm clock caused me to jerk awake from the dream I’d been having. I sprung up, my eyes wide and my chin wet with a touch of drool. My hair was a wild, disorganized mess. I banged the alarm clock with my fist, then took a deep breath through my nose. The sun was up, and it streamed through the French doors that led to my balcony and into my room.

My room was tastefully decorated. Pale blue walls, pictures of myself and the girls hung here and there, a string of white Christmas lights ran all around, up near the ceiling. My desk, carpet, and bed were all white, though my bed also had deep blue dressings trimmed with white lace. I also had a wardrobe, and in one corner was my vanity, where I sat and did my makeup. 

With a sigh, I grabbed my Camp Everfree amulet from off the beside table and put it around my neck, then used my magic to remove my blankets from around me. The now-familiar crackle of magic around my fingers, accompanied by a blue glow, was something I’d gotten used to in the year or so that had passed since that amulet had fallen into my possession. I stood up and walked to my wardrobe, catching my reflection in the mirror as I did so.

I had changed quite a bit since my first morning at Canterlot High. Though my skin was still the same shade of light grey it had always been, it was now softer, and smooth as silk. My hips had widened, I’d developed curves, (especially a pair of C-cup breasts, of which I was very fond) and best of all, I could only see a few traces of the lanky, awkward-looking boy I had once been. My hands were still of a size typical for males, and I could see my adam’s apple, (or as I preferred to call it, my eve’s apple) but neither of those things were especially bothersome. I had everything else I wanted, after all.

Blinking, I opened the wardrobe doors with a snap of my fingers and considered the items inside. Practically everything I owned was some shade of blue, grey, white, or black. Not that this bothered me, as they were all my favourite colours. After a moment’s thought, I selected a black cashmere turtleneck Raven had got me a couple of Christmases ago, a pair of white denim jeans, and my favourite pair of black boots. And of course, a bra, since I was already wearing panties. 

As I dressed, I brought over my phone to check the weather and found it was 56 degrees. _Not bad for early October_ , I thought, as I slipped my turtleneck over my head and put my arms through the sleeves. It was quite form-fitting, as Raven had bought it for me early into my transition, and it continued to show my figure off better than anything else I owned, even four years later.

There are some trans girls who despise the fact that they are trans. It is understandable. After all, we are vastly more likely than cisgender people to experience discrimination and violent crimes. To be transgender is to have a target painted on one’s back, so it is only natural these girls would prefer to present as close to cisgender as we are capable of reaching. 

I, of course, embraced my trans-ness as soon as I set foot in Canterlot. I’d known the city was far more liberal than Trottingham had been, especially the parts of Trottingham I knew, and I was glad to be right. But I am aware that I have privilege. After all, I am wealthy, with more money than I know what to do with and connections (through my father) that make it very difficult, though _not_ impossible, for me to experience the discrimination that my less well-off sisters and brothers do. So, rather than sit around and show off, I prefer to help those in more need than I. It’s why the Rainbow Alliance exists, after all.

Once I was dressed, I got up and began running a brush through my hair, taming the strays and making it look generally presentable. I did this with magic, as my hands were busy applying some light foundation and eyeshadow to my face. Once I was done with my hair, I added my rose hairband and smiled, pleased with what I saw in the mirror.

That was when I heard a knock at my door. “Gem? Breakfast is ready!” called Steno’s voice. It was deep and rich, like the smoothest dark chocolate anyone had ever eaten. 

“Coming, Steno!” I replied, cupping my hands to my mouth. Then I quickly took my morning dose of supplements (an estrogen pill and a spiro pill, since at this stage, estrogen patches and progesterone weren’t necessary anymore) before heading off to breakfast.

* * *

Most people of my class would probably be horrified that a young woman of nobility was doing something so _pedestrian_ as waiting for a school bus, but luckily, all but two Canterlot’s teenage noble population goes to Crystal Prep, so I need not worry about them. The two exceptions are myself, and Octavia Melody, the school’s only cellist and one of my dearest friends, outside of my usual group. 

Speaking of friends, I could see one coming at that precise moment. This friend drove the big yellow school bus that has been a fixture of my life at CHS from the first day of my freshman year, and I could see him smiling through the windshield. His name was Longhaul, and he was more than just a bus driver to me. It had been he who brought me back from the brink after my suicide attempt in my junior year, and I dare not imagine what my life would be like if he had not stepped into it. He was our unofficial guidance counsellor, a spectacular cook, and one of the most loyal people I knew. He was the uncle I never had, and I, his niece. And I loved him. 

At long last, the bus pulled up, and the doors swung open. I climbed aboard and sat down in my favourite seat: right behind Longhaul. We exchanged pleasantries as we always did, then I settled in for the ride, letting him focus on his driving.

After a short while, the bus stopped at a small two-story house in a small subdivision known as Pine Ridge. Out of it came a particular girl I knew, her Camp Everfree necklace bouncing against her chest. She ran to the bus and climbed up the steps before sitting down beside me. Lavender fingers wrapped around mine as Raven Sable, my girlfriend of three years, kissed me on the lips.

“You seem pretty excitable this morning,” I commented, after the kiss was over.

Raven nodded rapidly and reached into a pocket of her skirt. “You know that custom guitar I’ve been saving up to order? I finally bought it this morning!” She took out her phone, and showed me something on the screen. It looked like an emailed receipt. There was a picture of an electric guitar the same colour as her skin, with purple ravens and stars decorating the body and neck. 

I smiled and clapped my hands. “That's wonderful news, Raven! Congratulations! When will it arrive?”

Raven checked the receipt. “Four months from now,” she said at last. “But it'll be so worth it, just you wait!” She ran a hand through her purple and black hair. “Don't get me wrong, I’ll always love the guitar I have, but this one just screams _me_ , you know?”

“I do,” I replied, kissing Raven’s cheek. “I know you'll be able to make it sing.”

Raven gave me a thumbs-up. "Amen to that."

It's funny how time changes a person. When Raven and I first met, she was repeating the ninth grade, since she spent the first attempt getting into fights with Sunset Shimmer. Then she met me, and by the time our sophomore year started, she'd calmed down significantly. Even her voice had changed: when we first started dating, her Manehattan accent was as thick as my posh Trottingham one, but somehow, the more time she spent in Canterlot, the faster it faded. By now, it was almost (though not entirely) gone. Why mine was unchanged I had no idea, but I didn't mind it. I liked my voice, and I liked Raven's too. 

The bus rolled along, picking up four other members of my little octet: Sunset, a former bully turned good girl, and Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk, former sirens who now went about their days as more or less ordinary teenage girls. I say more or less because they were somewhere in the neighborhood of two thousand years old, with memories stretching all the way back to Ancient Greece, but thanks to siren magic, they had looked like teenagers that entire time.

Once the bus pulled up in front of CHS, we met up with Twilight Sparkle and Emerald Wave, former Crystal Prep students who rode the city bus to Canterlot High. Twilight was a scientist while Emerald was an aspiring audio engineer, and like me, transgender. She didn't like me too much when we first met, but after a heartfelt conversation at Sugarcube Corner one rainy day, she warmed up to me.

With a smile, I took Raven’s hand in my own and walked with her toward my locker.

* * *

My first class of the morning was English IV. My favourite part of the class was when we studied Shakespeare’s plays, my parents would frequently take me to performances of his works at the Globe Theatre in Southwark. From that, I learned to make the in-class readings sound as dramatic as I could, which in turn inspired everyone else to do the same.

Also in the class were two of my friends, Adagio and Sunset. Adagio was the only girl in class who had actually _seen_ Shakespeare’s plays when they were originally performed, and would often regal us with tales during class discussions. According to Sunset, the versions of the plays that existed in Equestria weren't too different, though in her world, what we know as Julius Caesar was an elaborate retelling of the Nightmare Moon legend, with Princess Celestia in the Brutus role.

I smiled at them as I entered the room, taking my usual seat next to them in the second row. “Did you two finish the reading assignment last night?” I asked, taking out my copy of Romeo and Juliet from my backpack.

Sunset nodded. “Eventually… I was up until near midnight last night working on it.”

“Sonata set off the smoke alarms again,” Adagio explained, winding a loose curl around her finger. “I keep telling her not to make choco tacos, but she keeps not listening to me.”

“Truly, Sonata’s taco obsession knows no bounds,” I commented. The blue-skinned siren was something of a taco-themed mad scientist, she spent about as much time developing new kinds of tacos as Twilight and Sunset spent furthering the world of science by explaining how magic works in our world.

“I bet she’ll open up a taco shop of her own someday,” Sunset agreed. “Oh great, and now I’m hungry for lunch!”

“For now, we have to suffer through Ms. Harshwhinny’s idea of an English class,” sighed Adagio.

I nodded. Ms. Harshwhinny wasn’t a _bad_ teacher, exactly, just very… _strict_. She entered the room shortly thereafter, wearing the same purple blazer and trousers she always wore. “I hope you’ve all done the reading assignment,” she said crisply, “as I have prepared a short quiz to test your knowledge. Anyone caught cheating will be punished in accordance with the student handbook.” She gave a stack of papers to the first student in the first row, who passed them along.

When I got my quiz, I took out a pair of round, black-rimmed glasses and put them on. Most people don’t know this, but even though I got contacts shortly after I moved to Canterlot, I still had to wear a pair of reading glasses in order to… well, read. Apparently, they looked exactly like the glasses my pony counterpart, Orion, wore all the time. Carrie liked to call them my “brainy specs.”

The quiz didn’t seem too hard. The first half was multiple choice, with topics ranging from why Shakespeare had the characters commit one act, to identification of various literary techniques. The last question was my favorites: an essay. It read, “The story’s central plot is best described as true love struggling against impossible odds, and failing. If you could advise our two star-crossed lovers on how to proceed with their relationship, what would you tell them?”

I looked up at the ceiling, tapping my pencil against my chin as I thought, when the answer came to me in a flash: “I would caution them against moving as quickly as they did, as I have personal experience in the matter. To an outside observer, my relationship with Raven appears to be not too different from the relationship depicted in the play, but in truth, it took months until the two of us were ready to declare ourselves an official couple. Furthermore, I would so suggest that Juliet follow Romeo out of Verona, as I can also say with certainty that abandoning the stifling expectations of one’s family can lead to enormous benefits.” 

I signed off with a flourish, then got up and turned in my paper. After, I returned to my desk and reached into my backpack, extracting the novel I’d been reading all week, and picked up where I left off.

* * *

Lunchtime began the same way it always did. After receiving my lunch from the kindly ladies behind the steam table (contrary to popular belief, lunches served at CHS were of high quality, and therefore, absolutely delicious), I walked through the bustling crowd to a table near the back, which sat near a window that faced the athletic fields. The rest of my group followed in quick succession: Me at the head, Raven and Sunset to my immediate right and left, Adagio across from each other, Sonata and Twilight also across from each other, and Emerald at the foot. Some people might call me a queen, with the rest of the girls as my court, but I hate such comparisons. We are friends, not a monarchy.

“So, how’d you do on Harshwhinny’s test?” Sunset asked me as I sat down.

“I believe I aced it,” I answered, smiling. “How about you?” I then proceeded to take a bite of my cheesy Italian flatbread.

“I did okay until I got to the essay portion,” Sunset admitted. “I put down that I didn’t feel qualified to give them advice since my only real relationship was with Flash, and, well, we all know how _that_ turned out.”

“It’s a pity, really,” said Adagio, leaning forward in her chair. She was the more romantic one of us all, and was currently dating my cousin/almost-sister Carrie. “You’re a beautiful girl, Sunset, and now that your reputation is repaired, you could have your pick of any boy or girl in the whole school.”

Sunset nodded, shrugging. “Yeah, but I don’t really _want_ to. Besides, we’re almost seniors now. There doesn’t seem much point to starting a relationship when we’re only a year away from graduating.” She shook her head. “I’m better off on my own. Romantically speaking, that is.”

“If you say so,” I said, frowning slightly. I reached out under the table to take her hand in mine, and Sunset smiled, comforted. I liked holding peoples’ hands, I find it shows them that I care.

Speaking of hands, a voice next to me said, “You gonna eat that?” and then, before I could answer, a lavender hand darted out and grabbed an apple slice from my fruit cup. The hand’s owner, Raven, grinned at me as she shoved the apple slice into her mouth.

“Well, I _was_!” I shot back, grinning playfully. I touched my amulet, and used my magic to rewind time around my girlfriend, making her un-chew the apple and place it back into my cup.

Raven stared at me as the blue glow of my magic faded. “I’m not sure whether to feel amazed or nauseated.”

Twilight pulled out her tricoder (built using the same technology as my magic screwdriver, once she figured out how it worked) and scanned the apple slice. “Looks safe to me,” she said. “There’s residual artron energy from Gem’s time magic, but apart from that, there’s no evidence you ate it. As far as the apple is concerned, you never picked it up.”

Raven blinked. “And what does that mean in English?”

“Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey,” said Emerald, Twilight, and I at once. We looked at each other and laughed, as if sharing a private joke.

* * *

After school, the girls and I went our separate ways. Twilight and Sunset went to the city library to go work on a project for their AP Chemistry class, the Dazzlings went to their respective part-time jobs, Emerald went to keep an eye on Spike, while Raven and myself… we went over to my house for a little tradition I had come to call “date night.”

The premise was simple: each week, she and I would spend the night eating a dinner cooked by the other, followed by a favorite movie. After the movie, we’d climb into bed and cuddle until we fell asleep. Sometimes, that cuddling would become something more… intimate, but not often. 

“So my love, what movie did you pick out for us to watch tonight?” I asked, as I stepped off the bus with Raven following behind.

Raven reached into her backpack and pulled out the latest 007 film. “Spectre,” she replied, in her best Sean Connery impression.

“Of _course_ you’d pick that,” I teased, ruffling her hair. “You always have been more… tomboyish than me.”

“Hey, someone’s gotta balance out your supreme femme tendencies,” Raven replied, sticking her tongue out.

I laughed. “Fair enough! As for our dinner…” I pulled up a recipe on my phone. “Pasta puttanesca with Instant Strawberry Frozen Yogurt with Chocolate Shell for dessert.”

Raven licked her lips. “That sounds _awesome_. Have you been reading Longhaul’s cookbooks again?”

“Maybe!” I unlocked the doors and headed inside.

A favorite author of mine once wrote that the smell of cooking food is often a calming one, and I couldn’t help but agree as I prepared the tomato sauce, washed the anchovies, and sautéed the olives I would be using. In fact, the dish I was making was lifted from the very book in which quote at the top of this paragraph was found. 

Puttanesca was invented in the Italian city of Naples during the 20th century, and roughly translated, means “whore’s sauce,” as it was mainly prepared by prostitutes who wanted something quick to eat in between clients. In the book, the three children at the center of the story have to make the sauce for their ill-tempered distant relative, a failed thespian. 

Once the main dish was ready, I decided to add a couple pieces of sourdough bread from a loaf  friend of mine from San Franciscolt sent me as a side, before going to make the dessert. Once everything was ready, I touched my amulet again, and used my magic to float the dishes out onto the kitchen table. “Dinner’s ready!”

“This looks great, hon!” Raven said, picking the dishes up and carrying them downstairs to the basement, where the home theater was. Steno set the movie up for us, and we ate as we watched, getting a full view of James Bond make a mess of things in Mexico, steal a car from Q, and get in a car chase.

After the movie, we got ready for bed. Raven loaded the dishwasher, then we both brushed our teeth, (she stayed over so often that she had her own toothbrush) used the bathroom, and climbed into bed together. 

Raven smiled at me as she took off her t-shirt and bra. “Have I ever told you how hot you are?”

“Many times,” I teased. “Did it start before or after I grew breasts?”

Raven laughed. “From the moment I first saw you.” Her skirt and panties were next to go, and mine followed in quick succession. She pulled up the covers, and we lay there, skin to skin. I felt her breasts bump against mine. She kissed me, deeply and passionately in a way that I knew was reserved for me alone. “You’re the most beautiful girl on Earth, Gem,” she whispered.

“Then I’m in good company,” I whispered back, running my fingers through her purple and black hair. I felt her arms wrap around my upper body as she pulled me closer to herself. “You know what my favorite thing about you is?”

“What’s that?” she asked. I could hear the subtle hint of her Manehattan roots in the way she pronounced the words, but she’d gained a slight Canterlot inflection too, perhaps from spending so much time here with me. After all, the accents of Canterlot and Trottingham are actually quite similar, and often confused.

“Everything,” I answered.

She giggled. “Funny, that’s my favorite thing too. About you, of course.” Then she yawned. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Perhaps sooner, if we wind up in one another’s dreams,” I replied. I turned out the lights, and we fell asleep.


	22. A Dazzling Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem invites the Dazzlings and Princess Twilight over to her house for a sleepover.

It was a new school year at Canterlot High. The Dazzlings were still taking accelerated courses to catch them up on everything they’d missed, but they were showing signs of being ready to take normal classes with the other students. Even with centuries upon centuries of experience under their belts, they still had to learn things like algebra, or how to find the slope of a line graph. 

The students and staff had not exactly been happy to see the sirens return. After the Battle of the Bands, the trio had vanished into thin air for two weeks, surviving on what they could find in dumpsters. Eventually though, Adagio had had enough, and the three found solace in the home of Longhaul Hoofer, CHS’ lead bus driver and unofficial counselor. When they did return to school, it was under a cloud of suspicion. Principal Celestia’s decision to put them in accelerated classes (taught by herself and Luna) were primarily a way to keep an eye on the former sirens, and keep the rest of the students from seeking revenge for being brainwashed.

Despite this, the three singers had at least one group of girls willing to vouch for them: Gemini Shadow, Raven Sable, and Sunset Shimmer. Gem had been utterly overjoyed to learn that the sirens were okay, and accepted them into her friend group without hesitation. The Mysterio incident, unfortunate though it was, had done a lot to bring all six girls closer together, and as the new year approached, they were practically inseparable.

At the end of their first month back, the girls were grouped around their usual table at the Canterlot Cafe, the favorite destination for CHS students seeking to unwind after a long day of classes.

“Girls, I was thinking,” Gem said as she applied some navy blue polish to her nails. “We all have homework to do, so don’t we have a sleepover this weekend at my house? I’ve always found that studying is much more fun when you do it with friends.”

Raven grinned and gave her girlfriend a thumbs-up. “I like the way you think!”

Sunset nodded in agreement. “It’s been a while since we’ve been able to something together. We’re all so busy now, after all!”

“Tell me about it,” Sonata added. “I’ve been pulling double shifts at the taco place all week! I mean, I love tacos as much as the next girl, but I’m starting to get overwhelmed!”

Aria looked up from her guitar magazine looking utterly thunderstruck. “ _You_ , of all people, tired of tacos?” She poked the blue-skinned girl on the chest. “Who the hell are you and what have you done with my little sister?!”

“I’m pretty sure I’m still me, Aria,” Sonata chirped, looking at herself. 

Aria nodded. “Well, that’s a relief.” She turned back to her magazine. “Oh and, a sleepover sounds great, Gem. I don’t think I’ve been to your place before.”

“In fact,” Adagio realized, “I don’t think any of us have. I know Sunset and Raven have been there all the time, but us? We’ve never seen it!”

Gem smiled. “Then you three are in for a real treat! When should we hold this little soirée?” 

“Saturday,” said Adagio at once. “Sonata has to work on Friday, Aria has her guitar lessons, and I’ll be practicing piano with Octavia.”

“Saturday it is then!” Gem replied, taking out her phone and adding an event to her calendar. “Girls, bring your books, backpacks, and laptops! I’ll cover snacks and meals.”

Sunset raised a hand. “Can I invite Princess Twilight over?” she asked. “She’s been wanting to come visit us again, and I think she could use a break from her royal duties.”

Gem nodded. “You certainly can, Sunset! It would be wonderful to see her again, it’s been so long!”

Sunset nodded. “Oh yeah, no kidding. I'll write to her after this!" The six girls talk for a little while longer until eventually they all go their separate ways.

* * *

"Have you three actually _had_ a sleepover?" Sunset asked Adagio, as she and the three sirens headed home to Sunset's house. 

Adagio shook her head. "Never. After all, up until a few months ago, the vast majority of our time in this world was spent gathering negative energy. We had no time, nor a need, for friends."

"I guess that makes sense," Sunset considered. "I didn't have my first sleepover until after I was reformed. Not much use for friends when you think you're going to be taking over the world, after all."

Adagio nodded in agreement. "Quite. It is very strange, being a human. I never thought of myself as one before, but ever since we lost our powers, I've had to re-evaluate things."

Sunset blinked. "You mean those necklaces made you immortal?"

"Indeed they did," Adagio replied. "We've always looked seventeen, but as you've just guessed, we are actually far, far older." She thought for a moment. "At a conservative estimate, I would say we are about 1200 years old... but it's been so long, we've quite forgotten our own birthdays."

Sunset chuckled as she pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine of her car. "Sometimes I think I know you, and then you toss out something like that... You're a real enigma, Adagio Dazzle." The 4 girls trooped inside the house.

* * *

On Saturday, Sunset’s car pulled up to Shadowfall Manor, and out of it climbed Sunset and the Dazzlings. All four girls carried overnight bags, which they held on to as they trooped up to the house. Sunset took a hold of the brass door-knocker and knocked.

Gem came to the door and opened in, clad in her own pajamas. “Ah, girls! You made it! Come on in, Raven’s already here! Welcome to Shadowfall!” She moved aside to let them in.

“What a beautiful house, dear girl,” Adagio said with a smile at Gem, as she looked around.

Gem blushed. “It’s actually my parents’ vacation home… they let me move in permanently after Trottingham Prep expelled me. Thanks though.” She led them into the main sitting room, which in contrast to the museum-like entrance hall, was aggressively modern in design. There were plenty of outlets, comfortable chairs and sofas, and a huge TV hanging from the wall.

“Hey girls!” said Raven, looking up. She was tuning her guitar, which was plugged into an amplifier by her feet. “Good to see ya!”

“Make yourselves at home,” Gem said happily, taking a seat next to Raven. 

“So you three are the sirens, huh?” said a new voice. A purple-skinned girl with blue hair streaked with purple and pink entered the room, closely followed by a small purple and green dog. She held her hands curled, as if they were hooves. “I never imagined I’d get to meet three creatures from antiquity! I’m Twilight Sparkle!”

“So I’ve heard,” Adagio purred, smirking slightly at Twilight. “I am pleased to meet you, of course. Sunset has told us _all_ about you.” She ran a yellow finger down Twilight’s cheek. “All good things, of course.”

Sonata went over to Twilight. “Hi!  I’m Sonata.  It’s great to meet you!”  She wrapped Twilight in a tight hug.

“I’m Aria.  Likewise.  Don’t expect a hug, though.”

“She ain’t really the hugging kind,” added Raven. She finished tuning her guitar and perforned a few quick riffs. “You ready to get smoked in our epic rock battle, Blaze?” she asked Aria, smirking.

Aria smirked.  "Bring it, little birdy girl."

Adagio studied Twilight carefully.  "So, you're from the elite school across town, eh?  What brings you over this way, some kind of salacious incidents that forced you to flee in shame and disgrace?"  Adagio grinned, but it wasn't clear if she was joking or being predatory in nature.

Twilight shook her head rapidly as the dog below her said, “Nope! She’s a Princess of Equestria!”

Gem widened her eyes and peered at Spike, “You can _talk_?”

Spike nodded. “Sure can! I’m actually a dragon back home, you see.”

Twilight picked Spike up and held him for Gem to pet. “He’s right! I’m not actually from this world, I’ve only been here once before, back when Sunset was… well, evil.”

“You mean when I turned into a raging she-demon,” Sunset added, arriving with drinks. “If there is a Twilight in this world, we haven’t met her yet.”

"Odd ... I seem to recall a girl looking just like you slinking around town by the school recently..." Adagio said, scratching her head.  "I must have been mistaken, then...although I could hav sworn she had the uniform of that preparatory school on..."

Loud electric guitar riffs emanated from a different room.  "Try Drop-D tuning next time, it'll sound better!" Aria said, letting off another blistering riff.

“Good idea!” agrees Raven, making her guitar sound like her namesake, just because. “I used to be able to play Metallica…” She begins playing “Enter Sandman” as the conversation continues in the main room.

Twilight blinks. “Really? Weird… maybe we’ll bump into her at some point!” She settles herself on the couch as Sunset distributes drinks to everyone. 

“How are things in Equestria, Twilight?” Gem asked. “I assume your royal duties are keeping you pretty busy?”

Twilight nodded. “Definitely. The other week my friends and I went to this tiny village led by somepony named Starlight Glimmer… it was little more than a cutie-mark hating cult!”

Gem flinched. “So she’s as bad in your world as she is in ours…”

Twilight looks astonished.  "You dealt with a Starlight Glimmer here?  What was she like?"

“An absolute witch,” Gem replied. “The head of the district, Superintendent Tirek, forced her on us! She put us all in uniforms, and if that wasn’t enough, she made me wear a boy’s uniform, all because I hadn’t gotten my legal documents changed in time.”

“And she got rid of Taco Tuesdays!” Sonata exclaimed. “It was horrible!”

"Waitwaitwaitwait... Superintedent Tirek?  This is getting incredible!  So many similarities!" Twilight exclaimed.

Gem smiles at Twilight’s enthusiasm. “You’re adorable, did you know that?” She thinks. “Alright, name the first five ponies that you think of, and we’ll tell you what they’re like here.”

Twilight thinks.  "Trixie, Bon Bon, Lyra, um ... Octavia, and Vinyl Scratch."

“Trixie is an amateur magician and used to be one of Gem’s fiercest critics,” Sunset said, “But she’s cooled down a bit ever since Luna gave her an ultimatum.”

“Lyra and Bonbon have been friends since kindergarten,” Gem added, “And they’ve been dating ever since their freshman year!”

“And Vinyl and Octavia helped defeat us during the Battle,” Adagio added. “They’ve helped us recover our lost music skills too.”

There’s a crash from the other room as Aria cheers, “HA! I WON! EAT MY DUST, BIRD GIRL!”

"NO WAY!! YOU TOTALLY CHEATED!" Raven responded.

Steno made his way in to the room.  "Snacks are ready whenever you are, it's in the dining room for now.  Feel free to take it with you, I will clean it up later."

"SNACKS??" Raven gasped.  She bolted out of the other room toward the dining room.

“Thank you Steno,” says Gem happily, giving her favorite assistant a hug. She leads the rest of the girls to the dining room, with Spike bringing up the rear.

“Do you have any daffodil and sunflower sandwiches?” Twilight asks Gem.

Gem blinks. “Not as such, no… humans can’t digest flowers, you see. Not like ponies can.”

"There's aa veggie tray with ranch dip!" Raven announces.  "Maybe Twi can have that instead!"

“Ooh, amazing!” Twilight runs right over to the tray and dives in, by picking up a stick of celery with her teeth and dipping it into the ranch.

Gem looks scandalized as she picks up a burger. “Has… she… never used her hands before?” she asks Sunset, in a bewildered voice.

"Old habits die hard, I guess.." Sunset whispers,and goes toa ssist Twilight with proper human etiquette.

“Sorry,” says Twilight apologetically as they all get settled. “I’m not used to having hands, I don’t know what to do with them!”

“That’s why I started playing guitar,” commented Sunset. “I had to build up my manual dexterity somehow!”

Raven chuckles.  "It's cool, you're among friends.  Just try not to drool all over everything, okay Twi?" she says with a  smile.

Twilight blushes. “I won’t!”

“You know, you’re probably the least stereotypical princess I’ve ever seen,” says Adagio. “And I’ve known quite a few over the centuries. It’s rather refreshing!”

"Ummm....thanks?" Twilight said, unsure of how to react to that.

"C'mon, let's grab some of the more snack-y things and go watch a movie!" Raven suggested.

Sonata picked up a taquito and eyed it dubiously.  She bit into it and her eyes lit up.  "Ohmigish, taco rolls!" she exclaimed, grabbing the whole platter.

Aria sighed. “Oh boy… another Mexican dish for her to fall in love with…”

Gem grabs a large bowl of popcorn and leads them all to the downstairs movie theater. “What is everyone in the mood for? The Daring Do series is usually pretty good.”

“Ohmigosh, I love Daring Do!” say Sunset and Twilight in unison.

"Daring...Do?" Aria and Adagio asked.  Sonata might have asked too, but her mouth was crammed full of taquitos.

“It’s a book series,” says Twilight at once, “About an adventure archaeologist who travels around Equestria looking for lost artifacts!”

“They’ve been doing movies for the human version of her for a while now,” Sunset adds. “The best one is Sapphire Stone.” She goes up to where the projectionist’s booth would be in a real theater, finds the DVD, and slides it into the player.

The girls all gather around the screen and watch the movie.  Twilight is watching with a mix of awe and wonder, the Dazzlings are interested for the most part, and Gem is cuddled with Raven while Sunset sits next to Adagio...maybe a little closer than she realized.

At the end of the movie, Adagio realizes how close Sunset is to her and chuckles. “Like what you see?” she asks, turning in her seat to show off her curves.

*Sunset blushes and scoots back a little.  "S-sorry...." she stammers.

"Twilight is still in awe as the credits end.  "That was...that was amazing!  I'd never imagined anything could be done to improve AK Yearling's work!"

Adagio chuckles again and nuzzles Sunset’s cheek. “Nothing to be sorry about. I know I’m sexy, so I embrace it.”

“I’m glad you liked it,” said Gem, smiling at Twilight. “Do they have movies in Equestria?”

Sunset blushes more.  "Y-yeah..."

Twilight shakes her head.  "Not as elaborate as this.  They exist, but they're nowhere near the spectacle this was."

Adagio laughs, though kindly, at Sunset’s expression. “You’re cute when you blush,” she explains. “I’m amazed you haven’t started dating again! You’re naturally pretty, so it’s not like you’d have to work very hard to attract boys. Or girls.”

“Well, we have had about over 130 years of technological developments,” Gem explained. “One of the earliest films ever made was simply a man sneezing!”

Sunset blushes more.  "I'm not that cute..." she says.  *am I really falling for her?* she wonders.

Twilight is stunned.  "Such advances...I had a hard enough time processing that you humans have actually explored your moon!"

“You mean ponies haven’t?” Raven looks amazed. “But you have magic! I woulda thought you’d have gone up already!”

Adagio smiles and holds Sunset’s hand, kissing her cheek. “You really are."

"A trip to the moon for the average pony is still in the realm of science fiction," Twilight replied.

“Well, so it was for us,” Gem pointed out. “At least until the Space Race happened in the 1950s. Maybe, someday, it’ll happen in Equestria too!” She checked her watch. “Oh my, is it that late already?”

Aria yawns.  "I guess it is...didn't realize how quick time passed watching that movie."

Sonata is in something resembling a taco coma.  Aria rolls her eyes.  "Looks like Taco Belle is done for the night."

Sunset can;t process the emotons she feels, opting instead to smile and cuddle closer to Adagio.  "Thank you..." she whispers.

“You’re welcome,” Adagio whispers back, picking Sunset up in her arms. “Come on, let’s get to bed.” She carries Sunset upstairs, bridal-style.

Raven leans in to whisper to Gem, “Want to bet those two will be having dreams about the other tonight?”

Gem giggles. “I wouldn’t be surprised!”

Twilight smiles.  "This was a very fun evening, Gem, thank you for inviting me!"

Gem smiled back. “It was a pleasure to have you with us, Twilight. Will you be going back to Equestria already? I have more than enough room if you’d like to stay the night."

"I think I'll leave in the morning," Twilight says, stifling a yawn.  "I'm eager to see a sunrise in this world.  Since I'm sure you don’t have magical alicorn princesses that control the sun and moon here."

Aria walks past wth Sonata over her shoulder in a  firefighter's carry.  "I'll get Muy Loco Grande here tucked in.  Goodnight, and thanks for having us..." Aria said as she passed.

“You’re welcome, Aria,” says Gem happily, before following Raven upstairs.

* * *

“Dagi, I really think I’m falling for you,” Sunset admitted as she changed out of her day clothes. All the girls were now in various rooms across the second floor of the manor, with Adagio and Sunset in the room next to Gem’s. “But I haven’t dated anyone since Flash… to be honest, I’m kind of afraid to."

Adagio smiled and approached Sunset.  "It's okay, my lovely.  I wo';t put any pressure on you, we can move at whatever pace is most comfortable for you, and all I ask is that you love e as much as I love you."  Adagio nodded.  "Yes, Sunset, I too have fallen for you.  How cold anyone not?  You're sure of yourself, you're very strong of spirit and body, and you're quite attractive if I do say so myself."  She hugged Senset lightly and kissed her lips.  "Maybe someday ther will be more, but for now...this will do nicely."  She releases the hug.  "Pleasant dreams, dear girl."

“Goodnight,” Sunset whispers, returning the kiss. She falls asleep, curled up in Adagio’s arms.

* * *

About half an hour before sunrise, Twilight can be found sitting on a balcony, watching the horizon. “Isn’t it beautiful, Spike?” she asks the purple dog in her arms. “The stars here look just like the ones at home!”

"It is pretty amazing, Twilight. Look, over to the east...it's getting brighter over there," Spike said, pointing to the lightening sky.

Twilight watches in amazement as the sun slowly creeps into view, not by magic, but by the orbit and rotation of the Earth as it circles an enormous ball of gas. “It’s beautiful,” Twilight whispers, wiping a tear from her eye.

"It's a wonder most of us take for granted," Sunset said, standing behind Twilight.  She wore a bathrobe over her pajamas.  "I'm more partial to the end of the day, if you hadn't already guessed," she said with a chuckle.

Twilight giggled. “Me too,” she said, looking over at her friend. “Princess Celestia would’ve loved to see this… and you, too. She’d be very proud of what you’ve become.”

Sunset frowned.  "Maybe some other time...I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet.  Although...if you could tell her I said hello ... that might help a little bit?"

Twilight nods. “Absolutely.”

Sunset looked nervous.

Twilight gives Sunset a hug. “Trust me… whenever you decide to come back, she’ll be happy to see you.”

"I hope so, Twilight..." Sunset replied.

* * *

“So you’re dating Sunset now, huh?” said Gem, smiling at Adagio as she headed downstairs to get breakfast ready.

Adagio chuckled. “Something like that, yes. I don’t think Carrie will mind the addition of an extra girl to our relationship, do you?”

Gem giggled. “Nah. She’s always glad to have more guinea pigs for her experiments.”

"You don't mean, like, she experiments on humans, do you?"  Now it was Adagio that looked nervous.

Gem laughs. “Of course not! At least, not *all* humans. Usually herself, sometimes both of us when we were growing up.” She smiles. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, she limits her experiments to people she trusts. It’s her way of showing love!”

Adagio nods.  "Um...okay.  You don't seem any worse for wear, so I guess it can't be that bad."

Gem nods. “Never once has she done anything harmful, on purpose. One time, she gave a bunch of vegetables at a supermarket sentience. They sprouted legs and arms, and did a dance all around the produce aisle! It was hilarious!” She laughs at the memory.

Adagio giggles.  "I would have liked to see that."

“Carrie is an inventive girl, I love spending time with her,” Gem replies, sighing happily. She finishes with breakfast prep and cups her hands to her mouth, shouting: “Girls, breakfast is ready!”

The remainder of the group file into the kitchen area. "Smells good, what we got today?" Aria says, a weary Sonata trailing behind her.

“Waffles, pancakes, and breakfast tacos,” says Gem happily. “Help yourselves, everyone!”

Sonata perks at the sound of breakfast tacos and happily digs in.  Everyone else grabs their choices and goes to sit down.  Over general conversation and good-natured ribbing, they ate and laughed. Eventually though, it was time for everyone to go home. Sunset drove Twilight to CHS so she could go through the portal, then headed back to pick up the Dazzlings.

“Thanks for this, Gem,” said Sunset, as the 3 sirens got into the car.


	23. Slice of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of short vignettes based on various Equestria Girls web shorts.

Two teenage girls entered the mall’s music store. One was Gem, and the other was Raven. Raven was carrying a dark purple guitar case that looked as though it had been beaten up pretty heavily over the last few years.

“Raven, sweetie, I simply don't understand why you can't just play the guitar you have,” Gem said, peering at her girlfriend. “What’s wrong with it?”

“You’re about to find out,” Raven replied, putting the case onto the counter. She opened the latches and pulled on the lid, exposing a lavender guitar that, if possible, looked even worse than the case. At least one string was missing, most of the body was covered in dirt and scratches, and the neck had broken in half.

Vinyl, who had been sitting at the counter this entire time, winced. “Sheesh Rav, what the hay did you even do?”

Raven raised her hands defensively. “Calm down, Scratch. That happened to every guitar I’ve ever owned.”

“Now I understand,” Gem added, inspecting the guitar with a very disturbed look on her face. “But what are we supposed to replace it with?”

Raven shrugged. “That’s the problem! I need something that looks as awesome as I'm gonna make it sound!” She looked around the store, unimpressed at the selection, until she saw something that made her heart soar: It was a 12-string guitar, with two necks, painted cherry red with yellow lightning bolts and white stars.

Raven gasped, and reached out to grab the guitar when a blue hand grabbed one of the necks. She frowned at the interloper. “Hey! Hands off my guitar, Trixie!”

Trixie smirked. “I touched it first, Raven Sable!”

Vinyl cleared her throat. “Why don’t you two have a competition to decide who gets the guitar? Gem and I will be the judges!”

Trixie’s jaw dropped. “Are you insane? Gemini can’t be a judge, she has a conflict of interest!”

Gem cleared her throat and raised one hand, as if about to swear on a Bible. “I promise to be completely neutral in judging this competition.”

Raven grinned. “All right! Let's see who plays best!”

“A shred-off?” Trixie asked.

Raven nodded, and narrowed her eyes. “Shred on.”

Vinyl handed Raven a guitar, and the shred-off began. Raven and Trixie played their hearts out, and just when it looked like Trixie was about to get the edge on Raven, Raven ponied up, the guitar in her hands changing color from pale green to deep, rich purple with black accents.

“Well Vinyl, who would you say won that battle?” Gem asked Vinyl, unable to keep the grin off her face.

Vinyl grinned back, “I’d say Raven won that one hands down. Congrats, the guitar is yours!” She handed the red guitar to Raven.

Raven paused. “Uh, on second thought, Trixie can have it. Turns out this is the one that really speaks to me.” She cradled the purple guitar as if it were her own child.

Vinyl shrugged, handing the red guitar to Trixie. “Whatever floats your boat.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie always wins in the end!” Trixie proclaimed, laughing almost maniacally. She held the guitar in the air victoriously.

Vinyl smirked. “I doubt it.” She pointed to the price tag.

Trixie’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “Twelve-thousand dollars?! You'll pay for this, Raven Sable!”

Gem shook her head as she moved to pay for Raven’s guitar, “Hardly. You may have won the guitar, but you still have to pay for it. On your own.” A smirk graced her own face. “Only the special few are allowed access to my fortune.” She and Raven left the store, holding hands as they walked.

Admitting defeat, Trixie hung the guitar back up on its stand. “No matter… I prefer to sing, anyway.” She left too, leaving Vinyl to her music.

* * *

Halfway across Canterlot, the students of Crystal Prep Academy were hard at work, running practice laps around their track. They wore dark pink t-shirts with dark blue gym shorts, along with navy blue running shoes, since their uniform shoes weren’t exactly meant for physical activity.

Hidden away in the bushes was a girl who _wasn’t_ a Crystal Prep student. She had pale lavender skin, bright magenta eyes, and purple hair streaked with black. Her name was Raven Sable, and she was one of the best athletes at CHS. She had to be, since she spent most of her life on the streets. She held a pair of binoculars against her eyes as she surveyed the running students. “Crystal Prep Academy… the competition!”

Suddenly, a chipper voice exclaimed: “Hey, Raven!” Then, a blue-skinned girl with dark blue hair tied back in a large pony tail poked her head out of a tree, beaming.

Raven jumped. “Gah! Sonata?! What are you doing here?!”

Sonata shrugged. “You said we needed to be sneaky while we check out the competition for the Friendship Games, so I came prepared!” As Raven quickly dragged them both behind a large oak, Sonata took a few outfits from her backpack. “I got cat burglar, dog burglar, tree, bunny suit, and everyone’s favorite, camouflage!” The last outfit was about as bright blue as her own skin color.

Raven facepalmed. “Sonata, honestly! That’s, like, the opposite of camouflage! Quick! Get down!” A group of students ran past, and they ducked down again. Coming back up, she saw they’d moved further into the field, making it difficult to see what they were doing. Raven sighed. “We need to get a better view. Any bright ideas, Taco Belle?” she asked.

Sonata grinned. “You betcha!” She produced a series of taco-shaped balloons from somewhere, inflated them, and up they went, floating high into the air. “Best view in the house!”

“Are you insane?!” Raven hissed. “What part of keep it on the down-low don’t you understand?!” She quickly began poking at each balloon, popping them. Gravity had its say, and soon both girls were sent crashing back to earth.

“You smell like tacos,” commented Sonata.

Raven facepalmed again. “We’re trying to _eavesdrop_! That means they _don't_ hear us!”

“Ooh! I have just the thing!” Sonata exclaimed. “Good thing Vinyl lent me her remote recording kit!” She took out a large boom pole with a mic on one end, a pair of [headphones](http://bit.ly/2zmr0V5), and a small portable recorder, and moved the mic into position, then plugged the cable into the XLR jack on the recorder.

“What are you doing?!” Raven exploded, completely losing what remained of her temper. “We're trying to spy on them! Do you even know what the word "spy" means? It means being sneaky! It means not being seen! It means _being quiet!_ ” So focused was she on admonishing Sonata that she hadn’t noticed the fact that her voice was very loud, and tended to carry across long distances, such as across a soccer field. As a result, the Crystal Prep students were looking right at the woods, looking very confused.

“We’ve been spotted!” Sonata exclaimed, throwing the very expensive sound equipment to the ground. “ _Ruuuuun!”_ The two girls high-tailed it away from the field and across CPA’s parking lot toward the nearest bus stop.

* * *

The next day, Sonata and Raven sat in identical chairs in front of Vice Principal Luna’s desk. The room was, as always, dark, lit only by the star-shaped nightlights Luna kept on the ceiling, and her desk lamp. She idly spun a moon model as she spoke. “Girls, I received a most interesting phone call from Principal Cinch yesterday,” she began. “She told me her students had seen a pair of girls fitting your descriptions skulking in the bushes around their athletic fields. At first, I was surprised! Never would I have imagined that two Canterlot Wondercolts would _ever_ stoop so low as to resort to such meddlesome skullduggery!” She held up a flash drive. “And then I saw the security camera footage…”

Sure enough, grainy black and white video footage of Raven and Sonata attempting to spy on the Crystal Prep students began to play on Luna’s computer. Once the video was done, Luna stood up, her expression stormy. “Would you,” she asked in a low voice, “care to explain _why_ you thought it was a good idea to commit athletic espionage? You realize, of course, that if I find your answers lacking, both of you will be facing immediate expulsion?”

“The purple girl!” said Raven at once. “You know, the one in the hoodie who’s been wandering around the Wondercolt statue the last few weeks? I think she goes to Crystal Prep too, and she’s been spying on us!”

“Miss Sable, you are treading on very thin ice as it is,” Luna growled. “Do not make me regret giving you a second chance after the last time you were nearly expelled.” She turned to Sonata. “Miss Dusk, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“We only wanted to help the team, Miss Luna!” Sonata said tearfully. “It’s terrible that CHS always loses the Games! And the CPA kids always have to act like big mean jerks every time they win!”

Luna sighed. “While I do agree that Crystal Prep’s behavior since these Games were first played is less than sportsmanlike, it does not excuse either of you. Luckily, it appears you were only watching basic training, rather than learning anything that might have affected the outcome of the Games. Nevertheless, however, I am required to punish you both.” She pointed at Sonata. “Miss Dusk, you are henceforth banned from participation in the cafeteria’s Taco Tuesdays until further notice, and do not think you’ll be able to just go to Mr. Longhaul and have him sneak you a supply. I will know if you do.”

Then she pointed at Raven. “Miss Sable, I would have you off the team immediately, but your athletic records speak for themselves. To lose you would mean Crystal Prep’s victory would be certain, whereas with you, we at least have a slim chance of winning this year. Therefore… if we do win, you will not be given a medal, nor a share of the prize money. If we do not win… well, we’ll revisit this at that time, if we need to. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Miss Luna,” they droned. They then got up and left the office, walking back down the hall to class.

“I guess that’s why they call her Nightmare Moon,” Sonata commented, before heading into her math class. Neither of them heard Vinyl shout from the music room, “HEY! WHERE ARE MY HEADPHONES?!”

* * *

The halls of CHS were as crowded as ever. It was study hall, and students milled around the hallways, talking with friends and messing around on their phones. Sunset was among them, wearing a pair of earmuffs, along with a new outfit consisting of an orange top with her cutie mark on it, a black leather vest with spikes, her Camp Everfree necklace, a dark pink skirt, and dark boots. 

As she wandered, the thoughts of various passing students floated into her head, unbidden: _“My science project is gonna be overdue!”_ thought Cloudkicker, carrying a model volcano in her arms as she hurried past Sunset.

 _“Hey, a muffin!”_ thought Derpy, as she rummaged in her locker.

Then came Longhaul, who was advancing toward the teacher’s lounge with a hopeful look on his face. _“I hope Luna didn’t eat all the Bavarian creme filled donuts again…"_

Sunset gritted her teeth, looking thoroughly annoyed. “Lalalalalalalalala! I can’t hear you!” she exclaimed, speed-walking as fast as she could toward the library, where her friends were. 

As she sat down, she groaned: “Well, the earmuffs don't work. I'm now hearing everything everyone's thinking without even touching them! Is anyone else experiencing a sudden surge in their powers today?”

Before anyone could answer, Sunset was suddenly confronted with five different visions: Twilight flying her bike to school with Spike in the basket. Sonata being followed by what looked like every pet in town. Raven accidentally taking her locker door off. Adagio’s singing blowing out all the windows on Longhaul’s bus. Aria causing a monsoon in Home Ec. 

“So you have!” Sunset exclaimed, once the visions faded. “Sorry. I just heard all of your thoughts. Can't help it.”

“You’re good,” said Emerald, giving Sunset a thumbs-up. “I haven’t experienced anything, since it’s kinda hard to have an overload of a shield spell, but I did get to help Aria when she flooded out the home ec room with her powers.”

“What about Gem?” Sunset asked. “I don’t see her anywhere!”

“She’s back at home,” Raven explained. “She says she keeps making small jumps in time. Sometimes forwards, sometimes backwards. She’s locked herself in her room until they pass.”

“Fascinating,” commented Twilight. “I wonder what's causing it.” She got to her feet and took out her tricoder. “Girls, I’m going out to the statue to take some readings. I’ll be right back!” She headed out as fast as she could.

* * *

“Okay, I may have a theory about what's going on with our magic,” said Twilight, looking around at her friends. It was after school, and they met in an unused classroom to talk things over. Twilight quickly drew a DNA helix and a complicated line graph with 8 lines on it, along with other pieces of data. “As we’ve established, having access to Equestrian magic has caused minor mutations in our DNA,” she began. “ And because our geodes are all connected, the more each of us use our magic for everyday tasks, the more all of our powers become supercharged and go haywire! Any questions?”

Emerald raised her hand. “This ain’t gonna be like that time where the portal almost blew up, is it?”

Twilight shook her head. “That was different. Midnight’s destruction had caused the wall separating our worlds to crack, leading to the magic leaks we experienced. This is more localized, since it’s dealing with magic that’s already here, floating all around us, so the portal shouldn’t be affected at all. So long as we use it in moderation, our magic should stay under control.”

“And our geodes will go all glowy if it's about to get whack-a-doodle-doo?” asked Sonata.

Twilight nodded. “It seems that way.”

“I could have told you that!” said a new voice. Gem had appeared, leaning against the classroom doorway. “I’ve seen this exact conversation at least a dozen times already!”

“Gem!” Raven ran over and embraced her beloved, smiling. “You’re done time traveling now?”

“For the moment,” Gem replied with a smile, running her fingers through Raven’s hair and kissing her softly. “How about we all go to the mall to get our minds off things?”

“Excellent idea, dear girl,” commented Adagio, smiling too. “I could use some more sheet music anyway.” And so the eight friends did exactly that.

* * *

It was a beautiful spring day in Canterlot City, and the eight girls known collectively as the Rubies were out in the middle of it. Raven was grinning, holding hands with Gem, her girlfriend of four years. "Oh yeah, a whole day in the big city to do whatever we want!"

"Ooh, just think of the fashion!" exclaimed Adagio.

"The food!" said Sonata.

"The city is our oyster!" Gem cheered. "Come on girls, let's get started!"

Suddenly, a masked man with dusty purple skin and deep purple hair reached through the window of a nearby jewelry shop, grabbed a diamond necklace at random, and shoved it into an orange bag. He then took off running, going as fast as he could.

The owner, a grey skinned, green-haired balding man with an impressive mustache stepped out and shouted, “Help! He's getting away with my jewels!”

“It’s quite alright, sir!” Gem exclaimed. “We’ll catch him! Girls? Amulets!” On cue, all eight girls grabbed their amulets and transformed into their pony-eared, long-tailed, super heroine [forms](https://i.imgur.com/qLlwpD6.jpg) before taking off after the thief.

They chased him all the way through downtown Canterlot, from around city hall to the city park. “Girls with wings, fly after him!” Gem shouted. “The rest of us will follow on foot!” Twilight, the Dazzlings, and and Raven all nodded, and flew away, hoping to get ahead of him.

As they neared the park, the thief bumped into a little boy on a bike, nearly knocking him into the fountain. Gem’s hands glowed as she used her time magic to reverse the boy’s fall, putting him right back on his bike.

The boy smiled. “Thank you, miss!”

Gem gave him a hug, “You’re welcome, young one. Ride safely now!”

“That way!” Emerald shouted, and off they ran again.

After some time, the group caught up with him in an alleyway. Emerald used her shield magic to bind him up so he couldn’t escape. 

“Can we please have the jewelry back now?” Sonata asked, sending a bird over to collect the stolen necklace. The bird caught it in its talons and flew it back to Sonata, who grabbed it.

“I’d quite like to know why he stole it in the first place,” commented Gem. “Sunset, if you would?”

“Sure thing, Gem,” said Sunset, touching the man’s cheek. Her eyes went white, and soon she said, “You didn't need to give her the jewels to impress her!”

“I'm... so... sorry!” cried the thief. “I only wanted to make her happy!” 

“By giving her stolen goods?” Gem shook her head, making several tsk noises. “Hardly a winning strategy.” She reached into a pocket of her dress and took out her phone, holding it to her ear. “Hello? Canterlot Police? I wish to report a burglary…"

“And now you'll have plenty of time to think about that,” Sunset added.

“From jail!” finished Raven. 

Sure enough, Officer Armor pulled up in his squad car a few minutes later, cuffed the man, and led him into the back. He surveyed his little sister and her friends. “Well, I will say you eight were helpful in catching him,” he said. “You’re lucky it was only a jewel thief. If he’d had a gun you might’ve been seriously hurt.”

“We’re just doing what we do best, BBBFF,” Twilight replied, giving her brother a hug. “We’ll leave the real criminals to you though.”

Shining climbed into his squad car, chuckling. “I’ll see you tonight, Twily.” He started the engine and left.

Returning to the jewelry store, Sonata handed the owner the necklace. “Here you go! One diamond necklace, safe and sound!”

“Thank you,” said the man, cleaning it off and returning it to its display space. “You know, from those outfits, I’d say you girls look like a squad of super heroines. What do you call yourselves? The Avengers?”

“It’s been done,” commented Emerald.

“The Justice League?” suggested Raven.

“Definitely not,” said Adagio.

“The Equestria Girls?” Twilight suggested.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous! We’d never call ourselves that.”

“Actually, we call ourselves the Rubies,” Gem answered, tapping her amulet twice. She was back in her normal clothes again, and soon so were the others. “Should you need us again… well, we’ll find out!” And the eight friends left to return to their big day out.

* * *

Emerald Wave and Gemini Shadow sat in the former’s bedroom/mixing booth, talking. “I’m so stoked for my date/birthday celebration with Sparks!” Emerald gushed, practically bouncing on her heels. “I’ve been planning everything for weeks!”

“What are you going to do?” Gem asked curiously.

“We’re going to the Canterlot Museum of Science and Industry,” Emerald began. “First, we’re gonna observe the exhibit on gravitational fields for 13 minutes, then we’ll marvel at the vastness of the universe during the planetarium show, then, to finish, we’ll enjoy cups of hot cocoa and casual conversation as we spot constellations in the night sky!”

“That sounds very romantic,” Gem says with a smile. “And just perfect for Twilight.”

“I know, right?” Emerald exclaimed. “I mean, this is _her_ birthday after all, and everything has to be _perfect_! It’s all going to go exactly as I planned!” She paused. “I hope.”

Gem squeezed Emerald’s hand reassuringly. “Remember the most important thing: you two love each other, and to be where your partner is is the best feeling there is.”

“Thanks Gem,” said Emerald, giving her friend a hug.

* * *

Shining Armor’s car trundled through the streets of Canterlot. It was the evening of Twilight’s birthday, and he was acting in the role of chauffeur since neither Twilight nor Emerald could drive. Both girls were seated in the back, holding hands and singing along to a silly song about the beginning of the [universe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMSYv_Z4SI8).

“Our whole universe was in a hot dense state, then nearly fourteen billion years ago, expansion started. Wait…” began Emerald, then both she and Twilight sang the second verse together, with _Emerald_ taking odd numbered lines, and **Twilight** singing the even numbered ones: “ _The Earth began to cool_ , **the autotrophs began to drool**. _Neanderthals developed tools_ , **we built a wall**!”

“We built the pyramids!” added Shining Armor.

Then, both girls sang in unison: “Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries that all started with the big bang! BANG!”

At the end of the song, Emerald laughed, kissing Twilight’s cheek. “That song is so silly and ridiculous, but catchy! I love it!”

“So do I,” Twilight agreed, smiling. “Look, we’re almost there!”

It was true. The car passed through the museum’s front gates, and up to the building itself. It was fairly large, and sat on top of a large hill overlooking the rest of the town. “Well girls, here you are,” said Shining, pulling up to the front steps. “Have fun, and text me when you’re ready to come home!”

“Got it,” said both girls, holding up their respective smartphones. They walked up the steps and, upon entering, were handed brochures. Emerald grinned. “Hey, Sparks! Shall we check out the gravity exhibit first? It’s really pulling me in!”

Twilight giggled. “Yeah, we can do that, Emmy. Come on, let’s go!” And off they went to the main exhibition area.

As they arrived, Emerald frowned, peering at her brochure. “But it should be right here!” she said. “Right in front of this guy who looks like Gandalf!”

“That’s Starswirl the Bearded,” Twilight corrected. “Maybe it got sucked into a black hole?”

“Maybe,” Emerald said with a shrug. “Well, let’s go check out the planetarium. That’s gotta be good!”

But alas, it was not to be. The two girls arrived in the theater only to find one of the museum employees, an older man with light yellow skin and greying hair, putting the model planets into cardboard boxes. “All shows are cancelled for the rest of the day!” he told them gruffly.

“What the hell for?!” Emerald exclaimed.

“The mobile’s broken, and the repair guy can’t get here until tomorrow,” the man replied.

“Come on Emmy, it’s not the end of the world,” said Twilight, placing a purple hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Emerald agreed. “Let’s go to the telescope.”

But the telescope also turned out to be a bust. Not only had the sky completely clouded over, it had begun to rain, forcing both of them to stay inside.

“This sucks,” Emerald groused, glaring into her mug of hot cocoa. “I had it all planned out, and nothing went at all the way I expected… this has gotta be the worst date you’ve ever had, never mind the worst birthday.”

“Actually, it isn’t,” said Twilight quietly. “I’ve never even been on a date before now. I mean, I didn’t even know what my orientation was until I met you. And my worst birthday was when I accidentally mutated myself into a half human, half spider hybrid.”

Emerald raised an eyebrow. “How did _that_ happen?”

“I was trying to replicate the morphing cube technology described in the Animorphs books,” Twilight explained. “Everything was going great until I picked a spider for my first morph. I got stuck halfway through the process, so I had eight eyes, six legs, and a proboscis, but most of me was still human. I had to have Shining help me synthesize a cure, and even then, it took a few days for everything to wear off!”

Emerald chuckled. “Okay, so, I guess when compared to spider transformations, this birthday hasn’t totally sucked?”

Twilight shook her head, placing her hand on top of Emerald’s knee. “I got to spend my special day with the most beautiful girl in the world,” she said softly. “That’s all I really wanted.”

Emerald smiled back, taking a sip of her cocoa. “You’re awesome, Sparks,” she said, kissing Twilight gently.

“So are you,” Twilight replied, and they kissed. As they did so, their bodies began to glow, and their human ears morphed into pony ones as their hair lengthened to form tail-like extensions. In Twilight’s case, she even grew purple wings that sprouted from her back, her feathers melting seamlessly into her skin. Both girls were so used to this by now that neither of them noticed.

After the kiss, Emerald took out her phone. “Guess we should text your BBBFF and have him pick us up, huh?”

Twilight nodded, then thought for a moment. “You know, I do have wings now, and Raven has been teaching me to fly…”

“Then let’s fly,” Emerald decided. With the clouds gone and the rain over with, the two stepped out onto the roof. Emerald climbed onto Twilight’s back and held on tight, while Twilight jumped into the air and unfurled her wings, soaring into the nighttime sky. Neither girl noticed the constellations shaped like a six-pointed star and a pair of headphones in the sky.


	24. This Time of Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Longhaul broods over the coming holiday season, and Gem takes it upon herself to cheer him up.

Cold breezes drifted through the town as another cold front approached, and with it came lead-gray, threatening clouds. An occasional squall of light snow fell from the sky, not enough to be a nuisance to travel but enough to announce the fact that winter was once again making an appearance in Canterlot. This, however, did not deter the citizens from going about their tasks, stopping briefly to exchange pleasantries with one another as festive music played from every shop and storefront. Bright, colorful decorations stood out more against the browns of the grass and the general dull gray one normally saw this time of year. For it was that with winter, Hearth’s-warming Day followed close behind. And, as was the case every Hearth’s-warming, there were gifts to purchase and wrap, food to buy and prepare for the onslaught of friends and relatives as well as the _de rigeur_ office parties, and of course homes to decorate to stave off the gloom of winter with a small amount of color and bright lights.

While this was a happy time for most of the citizens of Canterlot, one in particular was struggling to maintain a happy facade in the face of so much joy, despite the inner despair and gloom he felt deep in his heart. Longhaul made his way around to the stores, needing to procure his usual weekly items as well as a few extra things for those he considered friends. It was not an easy task for him. He had been in a funk ever since the month started and, despite attributing it to the usual holiday doldrums he experienced every year around this time, this was hitting him harder than it usually did. It was getting so bad he was considering booking off from his job driving bus for Canterlot High, feeling unable to cope with the merriment that the students would be no doubt carrying along with them and wanting to share. He wasn’t sure he could keep his brave front up without it crumbling around him. He was lucky he made it through, and now that winter break had started, he would have time to try to shake this emotional pitfall and be better for the new year ahead.

He made his purchases, flashed a tight grin and nodded when the cashier wished him a Happy Hearth’s-warming, and headed to his car. The clouds were making the already-shortened winter day seem even bleaker and darker as sunset approached. After loading his car and putting his cart in the corral, he got in and sat for a few minutes as it warmed up.

He sighed at the prospect of another holiday. Worse yet, another holiday alone.

Leaving the store and turning out onto the main road toward home, Longhaul thought about all that was going on in his life. He thought especially about a group of girls he had met over the past few years, and even more despair hit him. He had no idea why he was so wrapped up in their lives — after all, he was only their bus driver, so why should they care so much about him? Did he really have some value to them, or was he simply convenient? He wondered if he even had any worth to anyone, not including himself. He knew that to himself, he was pretty worthless. He felt equally as worthless to them, for the simple fact that he really couldn’t do much more than offer support and advice. Two commodities that were readily available from those closer to their age and gender, so why hang around with an old, worthless bus driver?

Stopping at a traffic light, Longhaul turned and saw a sight he never imagined he would see. In front of a small store on the corner, a kettle on a tripod stood to the side of the entrance. Behind the kettle stood Adagio, Aria, and Sonata, wearing the iconic outfit of a well-known charitable organization. Instead of ringing a bell to solicit donations, they instead used their melodic voices, singing a variety of holiday songs and drawing quite a crowd, who quite willingly filled the kettle to overflowing with donations. It seemed that they, too, were getting into the holiday spirit, which made him happy as he remembered how far they had come since the day they knocked on his door for help. It also depressed him because it reminded him that even they could get into the spirit of the holidays where all he could do was try to fend off painful memories and potentially lethal ideas. The signal changed and Longhaul continued on his way.

His route took him past Shadowfall Manor, and he slowed a bit to take in the opulent display of lights festooning the mansion. Gem, as she did every year, simply outdid herself, no doubt enlisting the assistance of Twilight and Emerald, Raven and Corvus, and Sunset.

 _Always the optimist, the bright spot in the darkness,_ he mused. He continued homeward, remembering the one time he helped her out of the very blackness that threatened to consume him. He scoffed that he was worthy to help others when he could barely save himself from that abyss.

Longhaul’s house was the only one not decked out in a myriad of lights and garland, or with statues adorning the front lawn. His had a simple wreath hanging on the front door, purchased to support the music club’s fund drive for a field trip to the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra to hear their holiday program. Truth be told, had Octavia and Vinyl not been every bit the salesperson and really laid on the cuteness, he might not have bought one at all. Still, it was for a good cause, and he was glad to hear from them that their goal had been reached. Longhaul didn’t drive for that trip, instead giving the assignment to one of the younger drivers who had a real use for the overtime pay. Parking the car in the garage, he began carting his groceries inside and closed the garage door.

* * *

Later that evening, after Longhaul had finished his simple dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, he mixed himself a stiff drink and went into the living room. He kept the lights dim and looked out of the window toward the street. The snow had intensified since he got home, leaving the street and lawns covered with a dusting of fine, powdery snow. It was almost a scene out of a Hearth’s-warming card. It made Longhaul feel even worse.

His mind thought back to holidays past, when life seemed so simple and worry-free. Back when he had a reason to celebrate holidays, and a family to do it with. He thought of his first holiday on the road after his divorce, alone, in a deserted truck stop. He thought about how one year, despondent as he was over being alone yet again, had made trips to three different convenience stores, bought three large bottles of sleep aids, and later that day, tried to consume them all at once with a strong vodka chaser. All it did was make him sick and sleep for three days, which made it fortunate he was on vacation from work at the time. He thought of how, after that rock-bottom point, he stopped caring about the holidays, actively shunning any attempts to draw him into it. Wasn’t worth celebrating without anyone he felt close to, he reasoned.

Longhaul got up and closed the drapes, and sat back in his chair. He consumed his drink, swirling the ice cubes around in the glass, lost in his thoughts. I _t’s just another day,_ he told himself. _It’ll be over soon. It will all be over soon._ He set his glass down on the table next to his chair and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling, until his dampening eyes closed, bringing him back into the darkness.

* * *

Gemini Shadow _loved_ Hearthswarming. Since her move to Canterlot, she made it a point to purchase gifts for her friends, things that she knew they would like. Then there was always a party at her house, which was always adorned with as many decorations as she could find. 

But this year, Gem was anything but merry. Ever since the calendar rolled from November to December, she’d seen a great change come over Longhaul, her best friend, bus driver, and honorary uncle. He’d become despondent, rarely speaking during their morning and afternoon trips to and from CHS. While Gem had always known that he got a bit gloomy during this time of year, for some reason, it seemed to hit especially hard this year. So, she hatched a plan.

As darkness fell on Canterlot, Gem quickly dressed in a dark coat and blue scarf, then headed out into the garage to her beloved Aston Martin. After programming the directions to his house into her GPS, she rolled silently through the streets, going slowly since it was snowing.

After an hour or so, she’d arrived. She parked her Aston in the driveway and got out, walking up the steps to his house. The lights were off, and the house was dark. Knowing knocking would probably be a bad idea, Gem took out her magic screwdriver, and touched the tip to her Camp Everfree amulet, which she wore all the time. Then she aimed the screwdriver at the door, and with a ‘click,’ the door unlocked. She snuck inside, keeping as quiet as she could.

The inside of Longhaul’s house couldn’t be any more different to her own if it tried. There was no tree, nor any other sort of decoration. But Gem didn’t care about that, she only cared for the sleeping older man in the recliner chair, his stetson perched haphazardly on his head. He’d jerked awake at the sound of the unlocking door and sat up, looking around. “Gemini? What are you doing here?” he asked. “How did you even get in?”

“Magic,” said Gem softly. “You didn’t think I’d let my best friend spend the holiday alone, did you?”

Longhaul blinked. “What do you mean ‘best friend?’ I’m just a worthless old bus driver. You have seven other friends your own age and gender, why don’t you go spend time with them?”

“Because you need me now more than they do,” Gem whispered fiercely. She took Longhaul’s hand in both of hers, looking at him with an utterly determined expression on her face. “You think I haven’t seen your behavior in the last two weeks? Longhaul… you’re acting exactly like I did before I tried to kill myself. _You_ , not the girls, saved my life. _You_ are the reason I’m here, instead of buried in that cemetery on the edge of town. And I’ll be _damned_ if I let you fall to the same darkness that almost claimed me.”

Longhaul shook his head.  Was it that obvious?  “Look, Gem … I do appreciate what you’re doing, I really do.  Especially coming over here in a snowstorm when you could have just stayed home and had your holiday party with your friends and family.  This isn’t the first time I’ve spent this holiday alone, and it might not be the last.  I’ll be okay, and you should be with the others, I’m sure they’re wondering what you’re up to anyhow.”

“They already know I’m here,” Gem explains. “But they agreed to keep their distance. You won’t be spending this holiday alone, I guarantee it.” She pressed two pieces of paper into his hand, and smiled softly. “Ordinarily I’d invite you to my party, but as I know you’re not a partier, I had another idea… so, two plane tickets to Appleoosa for you and Vice Principal Luna. I’ve already booked you two a room in their hotel, so you don’t have to worry about accomodations. The departure flight leaves on the 22nd, and the return flight on January 2nd, just after New Years.” She kisses his nose. “And no, you don’t get to turn me down. Not when half of this is bankrolled by Luna and Celestia.”

“But…but…” Longhaul tried to protest.  “Why would they do this instead of spending the holiday with each other?  And, why would Luna agree to go with me, of all people, down to Appleloosa?  It’s just…” Words completely failed him as he tried to rationalize all that was happening.  Stuff like this just wasn’t the norm in his life and he didn’t know how to process it.  And then, another thought came to him.  “Wait…did you say, room, singular?  You mean, me and her…together…”  He blushed as red as a traffic signal.

Gem giggles. “Because she loves you, you silly goof. And we know you love Appleoosa, so it didn’t take much to convince her. I don’t need to be a siren to be persuasive.” She hugs him, and adjusts his hat.

“Gem … what can I really say, but… thank you.”  He smiled a little bit, the first smile in days.

“You’re welcome, Longhaul,” Gem replies, smiling back. She looked out the window and watched the snow turn into a blizzard. “How about I keep you company tonight?” she proposes. “I’ll make breakfast tomorrow too!”

He looked out the window and grimaced.  “Yeah…I don’t want you driving in this stuff, you can stay here tonight.  The spar room downstairs is free, I can get you some bedding.  What about the others, do you need to call them?”

“I’ll text them,” she replies, taking out her phone and doing just that. “See you in the morning, my friend.” She hugs him again, then proceeds downstairs.


	25. Hearthswarming in Equestria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Raven's murder at the hands of Discord, Orion sinks into a deep depression. To bring him back, Princess Luna asks Gem and the girls to spend the holiday with him.

A cold, wintry wind blew through Ponyville's nighttime sky, and those few ponies who were out on such a raw night watched as their breath fogged into tiny clouds. But  Orion was not bothered by the cold. He sat alone on his balcony, staring up at the clear sky and thinking hard of a night just like this, one year ago... Raven had been alive back then. 

In the weeks since her untimely death, a great change had come over the grey unicorn. He rarely went out, and spent most of his time shut up inside his house, specifically his study. He talked little, save for the occasional greeting with Steno Pad. He would stare for hours at a picture of his beloved, then look to her empty side of the bed and cry, because he knew she would never come home again. 

He was, in short, lonely and heartbroken. He sighed softly into the air, wishing he knew where Raven was now, so he could hear her voice once more. But most of all, he longed for an end to the loneliness.

The soft thump of hooves announced the arrival of Princess Luna, Orion's closest and dearest friend. She had been there the day the tragic events unfurled, and knew, on the anniversary of the event, that Orion would be more in need of some form of companionship.  

Slowly approaching Orion, she spoke softly.  "'Tis a cold night, my friend.  Might we inquire what thou art doing out here instead of by the warmth of the hearth?"  She sat next to Orion.  "And, might we inquire as to why we have not received a visit from thee in far too many days now?"

Orion looks up at the sound of hooves, and then the sight of blue fur... his heart lightens just a little. "I felt like being out here a while," he says distantly. "And... well, I've been busy with house matters... and you have a country to run. Courts to hold, meetings to attend, things like that... I needn't bother you." He sighs a little. "I haven't had much interest in things these days... it's only been a few weeks, but it feels like it happened yesterday... I feel like a part of me has been ripped apart." He looks into her turquoise eyes. "Do you know that feeling?"

Luna shot Orion a look.  "Orion, thou of all ponies know that we never consider thy visits as a burden or inconvenience.  We are never too busy to make time for our dearest friends, of which thou hold the highest place, and thou are certainly never a bother."  She looked directly at Orion, a look of knowing and sympathy in her eyes.  "We do know the pain of loss.  All too well.  Be mindful that we have watched far too many friends and ... yes, even lovers, pass away.  We will bear witness to many more; it is the price of immortality.  But we do know that sealing thyself away as a hermit and shutting out thy friends when thou needs them the most will not heal thy heart."

"But what am I to do, Luna?" he asks, shivering despite himself. "There's nopony else in the world who could come close to filling the hole she left... what use is there in searching? I am not an immortal, like you, nor a royal... I have one life. And with her gone... I don't know what else to do with it."

Luna wraps her wings around Orion, shutting out the chill of the air.   "We will share  some very wise words that we received many years past.  We were still quite young, and we had our first taste of romance.  Oh, what a stallion he was!  Smart, attractive, strong ... all a young mare in love could desire.  We spent many a year together, and one day, as mortal ponies are wont to do, he prepared for his final journey.  We were deeply saddened, vowing to do whatever it took to keep our lover by our side, to never let him go ... and he refused each time.  Finally, he looked at us and asked, 'Why are you doing all of this?'  We replied it was because we loved him. His final words to me were, 'Good. Now go love somepony else.'" Luna placed a hoof on Orion's. "The emptiness thou feels will never leave you, but finding somepony new to share your life, your joys, and even your sorrows will make it feel less empty.  Do not shut thyself away, Orion. Thou art too good a pony for that.” Then she leaned in, and kissed his cheek.

“I thank you, Luna,” says Orion, smiling slightly. “But… there is another reason I’ve been so distant lately.”

“What might that be?” Luna asked.

“Well, look at the calendar,” Orion answered, pointing a hoof at a wall calendar inside. “It’s the first day of December. On every other house in Ponyville are Hearthswarming decorations. Except…”

“Except thine own,” Luna finished. “Dost thou not plan on celebrating the holiday this year?”

Orion shook his head. “No. Steno will be going to spend it with his family in the changeling hives, and me… well, I’ll be here, alone, in my cold, dark manor.”

Luna frowned. “Not if we have anything to say about it,” she said, and got to her hooves. “Friend Orion, worry not! Thou shalt have a merry Hearthswarming if it is the last thing we do!”

* * *

Minutes later, Luna alighted on the front steps of Twilight’s castle, knocking on the front doors with her hoof. After a few moments, the door opened and there stood Twilight, who bowed. “Princess Luna! What brings you to Ponyville tonight?”

“We require use of thy mirror portal, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna intoned. “It is a matter of utmost importance.”

Twilight blinked several times. “Importance? Is something going on that you need the help of the humans for?”

Luna nodded. “Sir Orion has confessed he does not plan to celebrate Hearthswarming. We felt bringing friends from the human realm may cheer him up.”

“Well, it’s certainly an unconventional idea,” Twilight admitted. “And I’m pretty sure Sunset and the girls won’t mind a chance to visit our world, so… I guess it’s okay.” She moved aside. “Follow me, please.”

* * *

Luna stood shivering in front of the portal to Equestria, wearing a black coat that went well with her dark blue [skin](http://bit.ly/2ACbCDF). Her hands were covered in light blue gloves, and she wore shoes of the same color on her feet. Getting up, she wondered briefly why there didn’t seem to be anyone around, before realizing that if it was night in Equestria, so it was here too.

She took off at a brisk walk, hands shoved in her coat pockets in an attempt to keep them warm. After a good 30 minutes, she’d found what she was looking for: a charming small manor house perched on the edge of town, with two gargoyles flanking the front doors. She knocked, though there didn’t seem to be any lights on.

After a few minutes, the door creaked open and there stood a girl with pale grey skin, long brown hair, and very tired looking green eyes. She wore a dark grey dressing gown and slippers. “State your business quickly,” she said. “I can’t stand being woken up.”

“It is I, Princess Luna of Equestria,” said Luna. “I have come to make a request of you, Gemini Shadow.”

“Princess Luna, it’s half past midnight,” Gem replied. “Can’t this wait until morning?”

Luna nodded. “It can, Gemini. Will you allow me room in your home until then?”

Gem nodded. “There’s a few empty rooms upstairs, take your pick. I’ll see you in the morning.” After letting Luna in, she closed the door and walked back up the stairs, returning to her room.

* * *

The sun rose late the next morning, since unlike in Equestria, the sun and moon moved around on their own. Luna’s nose wiggled as she woke, sniffing the air. She could smell pancakes with fruit, rather like the ones her sister made for her every morning. She threw the covers off herself and trooped downstairs, wearing only the bra and panties the portal had given her.

Steno Pad, who was cooking the breakfast, turned around and nearly dropped the skillet. “…Princess Luna?! What are you doing here?!”

“I came in the night, Steno Pad,” Luna replied. “I shall explain when Lady Gemini is awake.”

“Speaking of,” Steno continued, “She… uh… generally prefers that her guests are fully clothed at the breakfast table. We humans have a nudity taboo, after all.”

Luna stared. “But Steno Pad, I am a pony, not a human. We ponies do not share this strange taboo, for we have… fur…” She seemed to realize what was going on as she looked at her bare skin for the first time. “Zounds! How can it be that you humans have managed without fur? Dost thou not get cold?”

“Somehow we manage,” said Steno dryly. “The portal gave you clothes when you got here, right?” At Luna’s nod, he continued, “That’s good, because the only clothes we have in your size are mine, and i don’t think you’d like wearing men’s shirts.”

Luna took the hint and went to go get dressed.

* * *

“So, let me see if I understand you correctly,” said Gemini, as she buttered her toast. “You want us, that is, my friends and I, to come to your world and keep my counterpart company during the holiday?”

Luna nodded. “I come to you not as a princess, Lady Gemini, but as a concerned friend. As I’m sure you know, Sir Orion is very important to me, and his recent loss has affected him greatly. Princess Twilight has spoken highly of you and your exploits, and I know that if there is anypony... I mean, anyone, who can help him, it is you. Do you accept?”

“Provisionally, yes,” Gem answered. “The girls and I had plans already, and we shall have to inform certain others that they have changed.”

Luna nodded. “That is fair. I look forward to seeing you all quite soon.” She finished her breakfast, and quickly headed back to the portal.

* * *

“And that’s why we can’t come to Trottingham after all, Father,” said Gem, as she spoke to her dad, Azul Shadow, via the phone. 

“That’s perfectly alright, dear daughter,” Azul replied. “We can at least get together for New Year’s Eve, can we not?”

Gem nodded and smiled. “Of course we can! But for now, I really must be going, it’s almost time for us to leave.”

“I won’t keep you them,” said Azul. “Merry Christmas, Gemini.”

“Merry Christmas!” Gem cheered, tapping the red ‘End call’ button on her phone’s screen. Then, after making sure she had her Camp Everfree pendant and her suitcase, she loaded everything into the back of her Aston Martin, and went to join the girls by the statue portal.

* * *

“Honestly, if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be doing this, dear girl,” Adagio said, as they waited by the portal for the last two members of their group to arrive. Raven, Sunset, and Adagio’s sisters were there already, clad in thick winter clothes. Twilight and Emerald were delayed due to a reduced bus service.

“Why do you say that?” Gem asked curiously.

“There’s nothing for us back in pony land,” Aria admitted. “Everyone we knew is long dead, and even though Princess Twilight ended our banishment, I doubt anyone will be very happy to see us. I’d just as soon not set foot in that place ever again, but…”

“We gotta help the other you!” Sonata finished. “I hope she’s as nice as you are!”

“It’s he,” Raven interrupted. “Gem’s a guy in the other world.” She looked quickly over at her girlfriend. “Uh… sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to phrase it like that.”

Gem just laughed and gave Raven a kiss. “I knew what you meant, darling,” she replied. “I admit I don’t entirely understand why I’m a girl and Orion isn’t, but I’ll chalk that up to the multiverse theory.”

“You’d be right about that, actually,” said a voice. Twilight and Emerald had arrived at last, wearing their own winter clothes. “According to my research, everyone has a prime line, which means that for a certain distance, things are more or less the same. In the grand scheme of things, a difference in gender identity or species really doesn’t mean much. The further along you get though, the more obvious the differences become.”

“Like when we went to Queen Sombra’s world!” Sunset exclaimed. “There were humans there, but they had magic, just like ponies! And Celestia and Luna were evil empresses!”

Twilight nodded. “Exactly!”

“Girls, as fascinating as this discussion is,” Emerald interrupted, “I think we ought to get moving.”

“How are we going to do this, anyway?” Raven asked. “We’ve never gone through with luggage before.”

“I’ll levitate our bags through,” Twilight suggested, raising her hand. “Gem, can I borrow your magic screwdriver? I’ll need something to boost my own magical power.” Gem tossed it over, and Twilight caught it. She clicked it on, and used both it and her own telekinesis to lift hers and Emerald’s bags through, followed by those of the others. Once that was done, she handed Gem her screwdriver back and wiped her forehead. “Okay… that’s enough magic for one day. I think I’m ready though.”

“We’ll go one at a time then, since there are so many of us,” said Sunset. “See you girls on the other side!” She stepped through, and soon the other seven girls followed suit.

* * *

J, head of the Ponyville branch of the Royal Secret Service, had known Orion Shadow for quite some time. Though his methods were unorthodox, J knew that the grey unicorn was still an excellent field agent, and he knew Orion could be relied upon to answer the call, no matter how strange the assignment. Which was why Orion’s attitude since the Moscolt operation bothered him so much. Nevertheless, J had managed to coax Orion down into the secret headquarters beneath his mansion, and spoke across the desk to him.

“I'm so glad you came. We have news, I think, of particular interest to you,” J began, looking at Orion. He was dressed not in his usual tweed-and-bowtie outfit, but in a burgundy frock coat, a waistcoat with collars and a pocket watch with fob chain. Instead of a bowtie, he wore a regular one.

“Go on,” said Orion, peering at J through his glasses.

“There was a meteor shower in the southwest, of unexpected timing and density,” J continued. “Our scientists have calculated there is a thirty four percent chance it is the result of extra-Equestrian intervention.”

There was a very long pause, and Orion spoke. “You know, J, it _could_ just be meteors.”

J sighed. “Yes, I know… but honestly Orion, you can’t keep hiding away like this. It’s not good for your health, and we’re all concerned for your welfare.”

“What, so you can ask me back to continue doing the very things that got my wife murdered?” Orion spat. “I keep telling you, I don't do this any more. _I've retired_. Stop wasting my time!” He got up and turned away. “Find somepony else to do your bidding!” He left, riding the phone booth-disguised elevator back to the secret hallway.

When Orion had left, J turned on the magical video screen the lab ponies had developed, and contacted Twilight. “It’s getting worse, your majesty,” he said. “He’s refusing to take on even the lightest of assignments.”

“Luckily for you, the ponies who can help have just arrived,” said Twilight with a smile. She moved aside so all eight of the new arrivals could be seen. “J, may I introduce you to Gemini Shadow and her friends, Raven Sable, Sunset Shimmer, Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, Emerald Wave, and… well, me!”

J looked thunderstruck. “But… Princess, how can there be two of you? And one of those mares ought to be dead! And three of them… three of them aren’t even ponies!”

“Mr. J, this is a little easier to explain in person,” said Gem with a smile. “Come meet us at Twilight’s castle, we want our arrival at Shadowfall to be a surprise.”

“I’m on my way,” said J, and cut the connection. 

* * *

“You see, we come from another dimension,” Human Twilight explained. “This is what we look like on our side of the mirror.” She showed J a recent picture of all eight girls, taken on Emerald’s phone.

“I see,” said J, squinting at it. “What creatures are you supposed to be then?”

“Humans,” Emerald added. “I mean, okay, Sunny there was actually a unicorn first, and Dagi, Ari, and Nata were sirens, but since they’re all human on our side anyway, we just call ‘em that. Makes things easier.”

“And you’re sure making an appearance at Sir Orion’s manor is a good idea?” J asked. “He has become quite cold and closed off as of late, I don’t think he’ll appreciate having eight extra mouths to feed.”

Gem nodded. “It was Princess Luna’s idea,” she said. “And she knows him better than most of us do, so if she says he needs us, then we’ll come.”

“Although,” Princess Twilight interrupted, “There _is_ the matter of you three.” She pointed a hoof at Adagio, Aria, and Sonata, who had transformed back into the horse-fish hybrids that they were naturally. “Orion’s house is big, but you’re at least the size of Princess Celestia in your normal forms, and I don’t think it could fit three of you comfortably.”

“What are you proposing then?” Adagio asked, flicking a hoof.

“Well, lately I’ve been working on reverse-engineering changeling magic,” Princess Twilight explained. “King Steno Pad has been very helpful in assisting me with this, and he agreed that cross-species transformations could be done, as long as we have enough magical power to do it.” She looked to Sunset. “That’s where you, I, and Starlight come in. I’m an alicorn, and you two are the most powerful unicorns here, so between the three of us, we should be able to manage a temporary transformation spell. It would have to be refreshed every few days.”

“I’m willing to try it,” said Sunset, smiling. “One siren for each of us then. Ready?”

“Ready!” said Twilight and Starlight Glimmer together. Their horns glowed, and they aimed their spells at a siren each. Yellow, magenta, and blue flames erupted around the 3 sirens, and then… three earth ponies with manes and tails similar to their hair in human form stood in their places.

Emerald whistled. “Some impressive stuff there, Other Sparks.” Princess Twilight blushed.

“How do you girls feel?” Gem asked, tilting her head at the three earth ponies.

Adagio inspected herself, peering at her hooves. “Well, at least I’m not a robot.” Everyone laughed.

“Can I still eat tacos?” Sonata asked, ignoring Aria’s eye-roll.

“Only if they’re vegan,” said Human Twilight.

“If we’re all ready then,” said Gem, “Shall we go?”

“Let’s do!” Raven exclaimed, and so, carrying their bags, the small herd of ponies left the castle, heading across town to Equestria’s version of Shadowfall.

* * *

Orion sat in his sitting room, staring blankly into the fireplace. The room was dark, save for the light that shone through the window. It was a strange light, the sort of light that only came on cloudy days with snow on the ground, giving everything a cold, unwelcome look. 

Then there came the sound of hooves knocking on the door. Surprised, Orion sat up and trotted to the front doors of his house, opening them with magic. “Yes?” he asked sharply, looking down his muzzle at the group of unicorns and earth ponies on his front steps.

Their leader, a grey-furred pony who looked exactly like Orion, if he’d been born a mare, smiled. “Good morning, Orion,” said Gemini pleasantly. “May we come in?”

“You most certainly cannot,” said Orion coolly, his eyes narrowing. “I am not taking visitors at the moment.”

“Hey, bub!” said Raven, glaring. “We’re here on royal business, you get me?”

“It’s true,” added Sunset, producing a piece of parchment from her saddlebags and floating it over to Orion. “Princess Luna asked us to come here and spend the holiday season with you.”

“She had no right to do so,” said Orion coldly.”How I spend the holiday season is nopony’s business but my own, and given recent events, I’m choosing not to acknowledge the holiday at all. Now, please stop bothering me.” He moved to close the door.

“Alright, _that’s enough_!” Gem raised a hoof and did something entirely unexpected: she slapped her counterpart across the face, causing him to jump back and put a hoof to his cheek. She ascended the stairs and entered the house, frowning. “Orion, you are being a fool!” she exclaimed. “Look… I know you’ve just lost somepony very important to you, but you have no right to act like this!”

“I have every right,” Orion declared. “When have _you_ ever lost _your_ Raven, Gemini?!”

“TWICE!” Gem shouted. “Once, when the Dazzlings brainwashed our school, and then again a few months later, when that Doctor Mysterio person hypnotized her!”

“But you got her back in the end!” Orion yelled. “ _I_ don’t get such a luxury! She was murdered right before my eyes, and I could do nothing to save her!”

“You think that’s bad?” Raven interrupted, going to stand by her girlfriend’s side. “Gem here almost killed herself once! _We_ nearly lost _her_! Who knows what would have happened if Longhaul hadn’t saved her life!”

“What these two are trying to say is,” Sunset added, speaking quietly, “We know how you feel, Orion.” She placed a hoof on the noble pony’s shoulder. “I lost my parents when I was a filly. I spent the rest of my foalhood growing up in the castle, being jealous of all the foals my age who got to go home at the end of school, while I just had my tower room and a couple of servants. I became angry and cold, and when I went to the human world, I was the stereotypical bad girl.”

“Until she took a rainbow to the face,” said Raven. “Then she got good.”

“And I don’t want you to end up like me,” finished Sunset. “You’re too good a pony for that.” She hugged Orion at that, and soon, so did everypony else.

* * *

With all the initial awkwardness out of the way, the group could concentrate on getting ready for the holiday at last. The five unicorns (Orion, Gem, Sunset, Twilight, and Emerald) used their various magics to decorate the house, while the four earth ponies (Adagio, Aria, Sonata, and Raven) got to work on preparing food, with Sonata making traditional Mexican Christmas dishes, or at least, as close as she could get given the dietary requirements of ponies. Raven made dishes that she and Corvus usually ate, while Adagio and Aria helped with the more technical aspects.

Once initial preparations were done, they spent the next day taking in Ponyville’s pageant about the founding of Equestria, though the sirens (who had been alive during the time Equestria was founded) were quick to correct any misconceptions that resulted from heavy artistic license and the passage of time for the benefit of the four humans.

Finally, Hearthswarming itself came. The nine ponies exchanged presents, talked, laughed, and shared stories of Hearthswarmings and Christmases past and present. Orion began to wear bow ties again, and laughed just as heartily as the others when Sonata’s attempt at making a Hearthswarming taco ended in a highly amusing, if messy, disaster.

When the time came for the 8 visitors to to return to Earth, Orion smiled and hugged them all. “I’d like to thank you girls for coming, and making me feel... well, more like myself again,” he said. “Luna was right to invite you. I think you were exactly what I needed.”

“You’re very welcome, Orion,” Gem replied, hugging her counterpart tight and placing a kiss on his cheek. “Please, don’t hesitate to call us if you need us again.”

“I won’t,” Orion promised. “Until next time, ladies.”

“Byeeeeee!” exclaimed Sonata, and the little herd trooped back to the Friendship Castle, and eventually, their own world.


	26. The Fall and Rise of Sunset Shimmer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of Sunset Shimmer before, and slightly after, her transformation into a raging she-demon.

Sunset Shimmer had always been an ambitious filly. Her parents, Fawkes and Philomena Shimmer, had known that their daughter would do great things when she earned her cutie mark, a red and yellow sun resembling a yin-yang symbol. She became Celestia’s student after her entrance exam, and spent the next seven years learning everything she could about magic. And now, the moment of truth had come: today, everypony at the School for Gifted Unicorns would see her for what she truly was: a potential princess.

As she entered the examination hall, every other unicorn who had yet to take their test stopped their conversations and moved quickly out of the way to let her pass. The unspoken rule was that the Princess’ student got treated like an extension of the princess herself, and woe betide the unlucky pony who dared to cross her. 

Sunset’s hooves clopped on the blue tile floor as she entered the main testing area, where three ponies, two mares and a stallion, sat in three orange theatre seats holding clipboards. The leader, a grey-furred stallion with a black mane and purple eyes, spoke first: “Now, Sunset Shimmer, for your final test, you shall need to wow us. Give us the best you’ve got.”

“We’re looking forward to seeing if you can top your synchronized dancing cats piece from last semester. That one was a dazzler!” said the mare next to him, who had a cream coat and a brown mane in a tight bun. She spoke with a light Scoltish brogue. 

“As Princess Celestia’s own pupil, we expect big, big things today!” added the yellow-furred mare with a pale pink mane.

Sunset gave them all a cocksure grin. “You’ll certainly see that,” she said, and lit her horn. An orange-yellow aura surrounded it and a small group of seeds that sat in a nearby flowerpot.

“Oh! Looks like she’s going to to do a growth spell!” said the stallion, scribbling something down on the clipboard with his quill. “Classic! But is it enough?”

“Let’s hope it turns out better than Juniper Berry’s attempt,” agreed the Scoltish mare, Professor McPonagall. As she spoke, Sunset’s magic aura exploded into an inferno, transforming the seeds into a tree that shattered the pot and grew so quickly, green vines wrapped themselves around the turrets.

Outside, Princess Celestia smiled at the sight. “I see somepony just passed their midterm!” she said happily.

The three exam proctors clapped their hooves and cheered. “Bravo, wonderful!” said the stallion.

Sunset simply smiled. “Thank you, thank you, it was nothing.”

* * *

Later that day, Sunset sat at a picnic table in one of the many parks around Canterlot, studying intently from a book. As she read, Minuette, Lyra Heartstrings, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine came up to greet her. “Sunset Shimmer, that vine you made was amazing!” Minuette said enthusiastically.

Twinkleshine nodded in agreement. “Really exquisite!”

“Would you like to come have lunch with us?” asked Lyra.

Sunset got up and scoffed, packing her book into her saddlebags. “Hmph! I have better things to do than socialize,” she answered, tilting her muzzle up in the air. “I’m going to re-read _Advanced Elemental Magical Practices_ and then practice for my Advanced Summoning Spells exam. What are _you_ studying for? Nothing, that’s what!” She smiled contemptuously at the other mares, then trotted away to parts unknown.

Twinkleshine frowned and looked down at her hooves. “Well, she wasn’t very nice…”

Lemon Hearts snorted. “She’s full of herself, that’s what!”

“Her loss, I’m awesome,” said Minuette, shrugging. “Come on girls, let’s go down to Donut Joe’s. I’m starved!” The foursome headed off in the opposite direction.

Lyra looked thoughtful. “I wonder if they have ponyberry jam…”

* * *

Sunset and Princess Celestia trotted through the halls of Canterlot Castle, talking things over. “Sunset, I have heard that you’re not getting along well with the other students,” Celestia began. “We’ve talked about the fact that personal relationships…”

“Personal relationships? Bah!” Sunset interrupted. “Who needs anypony? The most important thing in life is to be the best!”

Celestia sighed. “We’ve talked about friendship and it’s importance before, and we’ve discussed that you need to start opening yourself up to new friends. And remember that talk we had about _humility_?”

“I remember how boring it was,” Sunset muttered to herself. 

The two approached a large purple mirror that resemble an elongated horseshoe. “Look into the mirror and tell me what you see,” Celestia instructed.

Sunset did so, and her muzzle wrinkled into a snarl. “I see a pony who isn’t powerful enough, somepony who could be great and powerful… somepony that could rule Equestria.” And there, reflected in the mirror, was a vision of Sunset. She was much taller, and sported a pair of wings, which were open and majestic looking. On her head was a small crown. But what pleased Sunset the most was the mare’s expression: cold, ruthless, and utterly unforgiving. 

Celestia shivered. Though she couldn’t see what Sunset could, her student’s tone frightened her. “Maybe we’d better move on…” she said, pulling the yellow unicorn away from the mirror with her magic. “Our lesson is over for today, but for tomorrow, I want you to reflect on the discussion we’ve just had.”

“Hmm,” was Sunset’s only reply.

* * *

Over the next several weeks, Sunset asked Celestia about the mirror at every opportunity, and every time, Celestia refused to discuss it. Things came to a head one stormy afternoon when the pair had to rapidly put away a picnic in advance of a scheduled thunderstorm. Despite the dark clouds and the wind blowing their manes around, Sunset said: “You know what’s fascinating? Mirrors! Like the one in-”

Celestia cut across her. “Sunset Shimmer, we’ve been over this a thousand times. We will get to the mirror and many other lessons in due time, when you’re ready.” She walked away, taking the picnic things with her as the rain started to pour down.

“I am ready,” Sunset growled into the wind.

Rain lashed against the castle windows as Sunset entered the palace library, heading right toward the dark magic section. “I’ll show her ready… you’d think this place would be better guarded.” The mare at the desk was currently asleep.

Sunset began taking random books off the shelves, scanning their titles. “Nothing on the mirror yet, but a few of these spells will come in handy…” The desk mare jumped awake and cantered off to warn the Princess just as Sunset found the book she was looking for: _Canterlot Castle: A History_.

“The Crystal Mirror… every 30 moons, a portal will open to… another world?” Sunset read, flipping the pages with her hooves. 

“That’s not really for you to know, now is it?” asked a loud voice. Celestia strode into the room, flanked by two members of the Solar Guard. All three were wearing angry expressions. 

“How _dare_ you keep this kind of magic from me!” Sunset shouted, glaring at her teacher. “You know that I’m ready for this, I can be great!”

“You _could_ be great,” Celestia replied, her voice cold. “When I took you in after your parents died, I thought I saw compassion and sincerity in you, but it was nothing but ambition. You’re being selfish.”

“ _I’m_ being selfish?!” Sunset exploded, throwing the book at Celestia. It bounced off a shield harmlessly. “That book says I could become as powerful as an alicorn princess! I could rule here! It’s selfish of _you_ to keep me from my rightful place! I deserve to stand beside you and be your equal, if not your better! Make me a princess!”

“No,” Celestia said firmly. “Being a princess must be _earned_. I have been trying to teach you everything you need to know, but you’ve turned from it. Every time you say you “deserve” to get something without the effort just proves to me that you’re not ready.” She flared her wings. “Sunset Shimmer, I am removing you from the position of my pupil, effective immediately. If we cannot get past this, your studies end here. You will be given housing in the main city, of course, but you are no longer welcome in the castle.”

The two guardsponies grabbed Sunset and walked her out of the library. “This is the biggest mistake you’ll ever make in your entire life,” Sunset thundered.

Celestia glanced at a tapestry depicting her sister’s defeat and sighed. “One of many…”

* * *

As Sunset and her escort approached the room where the mirror was held, she wasted no time in knocking them both unconscious with a quick magical blast each from her horn. That done, she ran in and leapt through the mirror, disappearing in a flash of white light.

When Celestia passed by, she found the two prone guards and quickly roused them, looking dismayed. “Oh Sunset… no…”

“She took us by surprise and just… jumped in the mirror!” One guard explained. 

“It’s fine,” Celestia replied. “We’ll have this mirror moved to the throne room, to remind me… just in case she comes back someday.” She looked sadly down at the ground and turned back to the door.

* * *

 ****Sunset felt her body warp and twist as the mirror’s magic did its work. In what seemed like no time and yet also forever, she came out the other side, landing in a heap. It was a clear night, and a warm wind blew on her face. Sunset opened her eyes and looked around, seeing strange houses, strange metallic carriages that moved without ponies to pull them, and in front of her was a large building that she assumed must be a castle. “This is an interesting development…” she muttered, finally getting to all fours.

But as she did so, she immediately noticed something was wrong. Her hooves were not her hooves, instead they were flat, fleshy claws like those of a minotaur. She sat down on her haunches and discovered she was wearing strange fabrics, with oddly shaped shoes covering her feet. 

Sunset thought of the anatomy books she’d looked over in science classes and said, “I guess I must be some sort of… hairless monkey.” Using the statue behind her for support, she pulled herself onto two legs, and noted she was much taller than she had been as a unicorn. But that wasn’t all: her horn was missing too. Seeing this, Sunset angrily kicked at the statue. “Great! Just what I need… Celestia expels me, refuses to make me a princess even though any idiot can see I deserve it, and now I’m some sort of freak who can’t even use magic! What am I supposed to do now?!”

There was no answer from her immediate surroundings. Unsure of what else to do, Sunset steeled herself and decided to explore. Getting used to having two legs wasn't difficult, though she did miss having her tail for balance. It was a quiet evening, and not many people were about.

As she wandered, she came across an abandoned-looking block of apartments . Some of the windows were broken, and still others were dimly lit, as though whatever went on inside was secretive. 

From behind her came the sound of footsteps as someone, another one of these hairless creatures, approached the block. He had bone white skin and black hair that fell about his head as if it were a curtain, and cleared his throat loudly. "You goin' in or what?" he grunted.

Sunset jumped and moved to one side. "You go first," she said. "I locked myself out." It was a lie, of course, but that didn't bother her.

The man nodded and hit a button on a panel beside the main door, which buzzed. Then the door unlocked and he went inside, with Sunset following along quickly behind him. As she went, she caught one of the names on the panel: "S. Shimmer."

Sunset's heart nearly stopped. "No way..." she whispered, and she ran up the steps of the dingy-looking hallway in which she found herself to the room where, apparently, she lived.

To her surprise, the door opened easily. It looked as though the lock hadn't been working for a while, but that was nothing compared to the rest of the apartment. The walls were dingy white, the carpet a dirty grey and very old, and the furniture (a chair, a couch, a table, and some beanbags) looked worn down. It was, in other words, the exact opposite of the accommodations she'd had as Celestia's student.

"It'll do," Sunset decided, flopping lazily on the beanbag. She looked around the room and saw a rectangular device with many buttons on it. Intrigued, she pressed one, and the black box in the corner clicked on, soon displaying what was unmistakably a newsreader giving a report. On the coffee table was a cheap-looking black rectangle that, when opened, showed a screen with a picture of a blue sky and some green hills, with a blue and green tool bar running along the bottom. The green button was marked “Start.” Sunset clicked the button, and so began her breakneck study of this world and its people.

* * *

Sunset learned a lot about this world’s dominant species during that first night’s study session. She learned they were called humans, and their skin colors were as varied as the fur colors of Equestrian ponies. Unlike Equestrian ponies however, they had no real magic of their own, only the cheap “stage magic” performed by unicorns with weak magical prowess, or earth ponies like that Raven Sable mare.

To make up for a lack of magic, humans had instead decided to focus on technology, creating devices like the television, the laptop computer, the smartphone, and the internet. She learned what kinds of food there were, and how the delivery service worked. 

Apparently, humans were also fascinated by gold, and believed it to be valuable. Sunset decided to take the Equestrian bits she brought with her to something called a “pawn shop” to see how much she could get for them. That would come tomorrow. Finally, Sunset climbed into the bed left for her by her other self (whoever she was) and fell asleep. Since the next day was Saturday, she had plenty of time to continue her studies of Earth and human culture in general.

* * *

The following Monday was a big day for Sunset. It was to be her first day at a place humans called high school, and she figured it would be as good a place as any to see if her domination skills still worked. Back at Celestia’s School, nearly everypony had been afraid to cross her. According to her research, humans were just as easily cowed, given all of the dictators that had ruled their various nation-states over the centuries.

When she wasn’t brushing up on human culture, Sunset was figuring out how her new body worked. According to her research, she was what was called a teenager, roughly 15 years of age. Human girls of that age had already started their menstrual cycles, something Sunset would now have to worry about too. But that wasn’t the hardest part: her biggest challenge would be using hands. 

To be fair, she’d gotten a start with them by doing all that typing over the weekend, and she learned how to hold things. If she was going to take over the nearby high school, she would have to pass as an ordinary human, which meant not showing anyone any sign of her true identity as a pony. Hopefully, school would give her some much-needed practice.

At precisely 6:30, Sunset woke up and quickly dressed, then threw a couple of toaster pastries into the toaster for her breakfast. Once they were ready, she loaded up her backpack and headed out, munching on the pastries as she walked. The air was cool, if humid. To Sunset, it reminded her of the very beginning of her time at the School, when she was still a young and innocent filly.

Speaking of young and innocent, Sunset knew she wouldn’t be able to waltz into school and start bossing ponies... people, around as if they were her servants. She would have to be slow and subtle: act nice, find out who the people in authority were, undermine them, and install herself as the new queen. The only question was _how_. Since this world was utterly foreign to her, she would have to improvise.

Eventually, Sunset approached the large brick building that held the school, and walked right up the front steps. The area was relatively quiet, since it was still fairly early in the morning, but the doors were unlocked. 

Also entering the school was a woman with pale lavender skin and green, blue, and pink striped hair. She spotted Sunset and smiled. “Good morning, miss! Are you a new student here?” 

Sunset froze, looking at the woman in complete surprise. Her first thought was that Celestia might have followed her here, but that couldn’t be. This woman didn’t seem to recognize her at all, she was actually happy to see her! Sunset swallowed her surprise and nodded. “Yes, I am. My name is Sunset Shimmer.”

“Pleased to meet you!” said the other woman, still smiling. “I’m Celestia Solaris, principal of this school. If you’ll follow me, we’ll get you entered into our records system.” She began to walk down the hall, and Sunset followed.

* * *

As far as the rest of the school was concerned, Sunset Shimmer was an ordinary teenage girl. She was confident and ambitious, and quick with an answer to a question asked of her by a teacher. The other students were wary of her at first, but soon, she began to attract attention, not only for her obvious intelligence, but for her appearance as well. Sunset was, after all, a _very_ beautiful girl. Her amber skin seemed to glow in the sun, and her red and yellow striped hair appeared to burn like fire, especially when she was running in P.E. class. And, of course, there were her eyes: twin pools of cold cyan, betraying a damaged soul and a furious hidden anger.

She was, in short, the kind of girl that Flash Sentry didn’t even have the ghost of a chance with. He only picked up guitar because he knew it was a better way of picking up girls than being a total nerd had been. Flash came from the distant city of Vanhoover, where he was known as the school’s top geek, since he spent all his time reading comics and watching _Star Trek_ reruns. Flash wanted to be as cool as Captain Kirk, but knew he had no chance at Vanhoover High, so he begged and pleaded with his parents to move to Canterlot.

Fortunately, luck was on his side. His father managed to find better work as an accountant for the city government, and so to Canterlot they went. Flash wasted no time in tossing away his old geek stuff, replacing it with posters of famous rock and punk bands from across the decades. With his allowance, he bought a cheap (if cool looking) guitar from eBay, and learned to play it. By the time the school year started, he’d been at it for almost six months.

Little did Flash know however that he was being watched by Sunset, or more accurately, the two goons she’d managed to con into helping her, Snips and Snails. Her popularity had begun to take off in the weeks since her arrival, and with the Fall Formal coming up, she knew she’d need a date. So she set Snips and Snails the task of watching him, with instructions to contact her if he did anything interesting.

As school got out one day, Flash could be found walking toward one of the school’s musical practice rooms. They weren’t used much, but it was the only place Flash could play on school grounds, since Vice Principal Luna had forbidden him from playing in the cafeteria or on the roof.

Since the rooms were usually empty, he could be forgiven for screaming like a little girl when he flicked on the lights of the room he’d picked, only to find Sunset Shimmer standing against the wall with a calculating smile on her face. “Hello Flash,” she purred, walking slowly towards him.

“H-hi, Sunset,” Flash stammered, as he tried to recover from his shock. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was just thinking,” Sunset continued, running her finger down Flash’s chin. “The Fall Formal is in three days, and I don’t have a date yet. It wouldn’t look good for the future Princess of the Fall Formal to be seen without a date, now would it?”

Flash gulped. “But they don’t announce the winner until the night of the Formal! How can you know that you’ll win?”

“I’m running unopposed,” Sunset explained. That was easy to do, when you managed to intimidate the other would-be contenders out of running through threats of blackmail and academic sabotage.

“I… see,” said Flash eventually. “Well, uh… I guess I could take you, if you really wanted.”

“On one condition,” said Sunset. “You teach me how to play guitar. Sound good?”

Flash nodded at once. This would be his one and only chance to get the hottest girl in school to notice him, and he wasn’t going to let it slip through his fingers. “Yeah, that’s cool. I can email you some links to the lessons I’ve been looking at, if you want. Basically everything is on YouTube.”

“Do it,” Sunset replied, and quickly wrote down her email address. “See you tomorrow, Flash.” She kissed his cheek briefly, then sashayed through the music room doors, leaving Flash to his music. In her apartment that evening, she chewed meditatively on a slice of pizza, chuckling to herself as she did so. “I _knew_ these humans would be foal’s play… I wonder what else I could make them do…”

 ****There was no doubt about it now; Sunset Shimmer had become the undisputed queen of Canterlot High. Her first victory in the elections for Fall Formal Princess had been an important milestone, showing that with the right amount of patience and leverage, she really could control humans as easily as she’d controlled ponies. She spent the next two years making herself utterly indispensable, and unapproachable. No one could run for princess without her say-so, and since the entire student body was too scared, no one did.

But Sunset was hardly going to stop there. Why would she? The crowns meant nothing outside of CHS, and while they wielded her significant power inside, she knew there was more out there. There was one other crown she had her eye on, and it was in Equestria.

She had arrived in this world at the human age of 15. Two and a half years later, when the portal opened again, she was 17. While she didn’t know who the current bearers of the Elements of Harmony were, (Celestia had told her about them in one of their first lessons together) she knew she only needed to find the one that wielded the most powerful one of all, the Element of Magic. So, the first night the portal opened, Sunset jumped through and landed on all four hooves.

It was as if she never left. She crept through the castle hallways, keeping her hoof steps as quiet as she could make them, grateful for the cloak that hid most of her from view. She headed toward the library, and cast a silencing spell on the door, so it wouldn’t creak when she opened it.

The library was, of course, completely deserted. Nopony would see her. Casting a light spell, Sunset went to the newspaper archives and began scanning headlines from when she’d been gone: “NIGHTMARE MOON RETURNS,” said one. “DISCORD CREATES CHAOS,” said another. “CRYSTAL EMPIRE FOUND, SOMBRA DEPOSED,” said the third. And the one thing all 3 headlines had in common? Their articles were all illustrated with a picture of a vaguely familiar purple mare with a dark blue mane and tail streaked with purple and pink. In the last headline, the mare had grown wings, and had become an alicorn.

Sunset slammed the drawer shut and got to her hooves, enraged. How _dare_ that insolent little filly become a princess! That was supposed to be _her_ job! She ran from the library and performed a quick scan for any princess-level magic. There were four matches, all in separate wings of the castle, but the one she was most interested in was just down the hall from the mirror room.

Smiling deviously, Sunset headed toward the fourth princess’s bedroom, and snuck inside. She saw a golden crown with a pink six-pointed star in the center resting on a nightstand, just like in the newspaper. She took it, left a quickly-constructed fake in its place, and headed toward the door. 

But then, she tripped over something scaly. She fell to the ground, and got shakily to her hooves, carrying the crown in her saddlebags. Behind her, the princess woke up and yawned. She saw what Sunset was carrying and gasped. “My crown! She’s got my crown!”

Sunset ran for it, galloping through the halls of the castle as fast as she could, pursued by the angry purple princess. “STOP, THIEF!” she shouted, and five other doors slammed open at once. The Princess lit her horn and teleported in front of Sunset, ordering: “Stop!”

Sunset ignored this and simply teleported behind the princess, then continued on her way. Six other ponies followed her with the princess in the lead: five on hoof, one in the air. The princess grabbed Sunset’s tail in her teeth and bit down, causing Sunset to look back in surprise. The princess tackled her, and the two ponies flew into the mirror room, carried by momentum. The crown flew out of Sunset’s saddlebags and bounced off various objects before zipping through the mirror portal, causing the glass to ripple.

“What did you do with my crown?!” asked the Princess, glaring at Sunset.

Sunset simply smirked and got to her hooves. “Sorry it had to be this way, Princess,” she said, teleporting to the mirror. She threw off a sarcastic salute and jumped through the mirror again.

* * *

Two days later, it was the night of the Fall Formal, and Sunset Shimmer was issuing Twilight Sparkle an ultimatum: “You don't belong here. Give me the crown, and you can go back to Equestria tonight. Or keep it and never go home.” She produced a large sledgehammer, and prepared to hit the statue base as everyone gasped. “Tick-tock, Twilight. We haven't got all night. The portal will be closing on its own in less than an hour. So, what's your answer?”

There was a pause. Finally, Twilight steeled her resolve. “No.”

Sunset gaped. “What!? Equestria! Your friends! Lost to you forever! Don't you see what I'm about to do to the portal?!”

Twilight nodded, “Yes, but I've also seen what you've been able to do here without magic. Equestria will find a way to survive without my Element of Harmony. This place might not, if I allow it to fall into your hands. So go ahead. Destroy the portal. You are not getting this crown!”

Sunset dropped the sledgehammer and sighed. “Fine, you win!”

Raven Sable cheered. “You... are... so awesome! It's no wonder you're a real live princess!”

“Oh yes, she’s so very special!” Sunset hissed, advancing on Twilight.

“No!” Gemini Shadow grabs the crown and tosses it to Raven as the group start playing a high-stakes game of keep-away. Unluckily, Sunset manages to win. Holding the crown in both hands, Sunset grins. “At last! More power than I could ever imagine!” And she puts it on her head. Immediately, there’s a flash of bright light, and Sunset undergoes a painful transformation into something altogether more terrifying: a demon. A raging she-demon. 

Inspecting her new form, Sunset can only laugh as the other students begin to scream in terror. “I've had to jump through so many hoops tonight just to get my hands on this crown, and it really should have been mine all along! But let's let bygones be bygones. I am your princess now, and you will be loyal... to me!” She made a fist, and the entire front entrance of the building was lifted from its foundations and tossed into a corner. Then she snapped her fingers, and the rest of the student body starts moaning, swirls in their eyes.

Sunset smirks, and looks to her two goons, Snips and Snails, who are also demons. “Round them up and bring them to the portal!” she commands. Turning to Twilight and friends, she speaks again. “Spoiler alert: I was bluffing when I said I was going to destroy the portal. I don't want to rule this pathetic little high school; I want Equestria! And with my own little teenage army behind me, I'm going to get it!”

“No, you’re not!” says Twilight defiantly, as she, Gem, and Raven all look at Sunset with similar expressions. 

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Oh, please! What exactly do you think you're going to do to stop me? I have magic, and you have nothing!”

“She has us!” say Gem and Raven together.

Sunset glares at Gem and Raven. “Step aside, humans! Twilight has tried to interfere with my plans one too many times already! She needs to be dealt with!” And she produces a ball of fire, which she throws at the trio. The three grasp hands even tighter, waiting for the end, but it doesn’t come. A magenta bubble has formed instead, shielding them from harm.

Sunset gasps, astounded. “What?!”

Twilight spoke next, looking triumphant. “The magic contained in my Element was able to unite with those who could wield the others! Honesty! Kindness! Laughter! Generosity! Loyalty! Magic! Together with a crown, they create a power beyond anything you could imagine, but it is a power you don't have the ability to control! The crown may be upon your head, Sunset Shimmer, but you cannot wield it, because you do not possess the most powerful magic of all: the magic of friendship!” The three rose into the air, their hair lengthening to look like pony manes and tails, and real pony ears appearing on their heads. Twilight even grows a set of wings.

“No!” screams Sunset, unable to believe it what she’s seeing. A rainbow flies toward her, surrounding her body. 

“Here and in Equestria, it is the only magic that can truly unite us all!” shouted Twilight, as a magical explosion (noticed halfway across town by three teenage girls in hoodies) takes place, creating a large crater.

Twilight walks to the edge, joined by Gem and Raven. “You will never rule in Equestria. Any power you may have had in this world is gone. Tonight, you've shown everyone who you really are. You've shown them what is in your heart,” she says coldly.

Sunset looks up, crying and covered in dirt. “I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know there was another way!”

‘The magic of friendship doesn't just exist in Equestria. It's everywhere. You can seek it out, or you can forever be alone. The choice is yours,” Twilight said.

“But... But all I've ever done since being here is drive everyone apart. I don't know the first thing about friendship,” complains Sunset.

Twilight points to the two equinoid humans standing beside her and smiles. “I bet they can teach you.”

Against her better judgement, Gem jumps into the crater and slides down to meet Sunset, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You look like someone who could use a friend. Or two.”

Raven helps Sunset to her feet, supporting her.  "Yeah ... come on, let's get you out of here."  They both help Sunset climb out of the crater.

Gem smiles at the girl who had caused so much trouble for her since she had arrived, and looks into her eyes. ”For what it's worth, Sunset... I don't hate you. Your actions were detestable, you put everyone here in danger, and you could have gotten everyone killed… but I don't hate you. You're lonely, and you need a friend." She gives her a quick hug. "I would like to be that friend. You've got two and a half years until you can go home... may as well make the best of it."

"Okay," Sunset says weakly, hugging both Raven and Gem before Vice-Principal Luna approaches.  "Miss Shimmer, we need to have a very long talk," Luna says, motioning for Sunset to follow along.  Sunset sighs and dutifully follows.

* * *

The day after the Fall Formal was traditionally a busy one for the support staff at Canterlot High School. The gymnasium needed to be cleaned top to bottom, old decorations needed to be removed and thrown away, the floor swept and mopped, and the trash carted out to the dumpsters in the back. It was the same just about every year, and became a normal part of the routine at the school, so much so that a core group of staff could have the entire business done before lunchtime.

This, however, was far from a normal year.

This was the year that a rampaging she-demon had run amok during the coronation ceremony for the Fall Formal Princess, laying waste to the front entryway of the school and leaving a huge crater out front after her defeat. Cleaning this mess would take more than a few brooms and some heavy-duty, contractor-sized trash bags. Luckily, Principal Celestia had mobilized a disaster team to come to the school before sunrise to begin rebuilding the front facade of the school.

Vice-Principal Luna, the disciplinarian, had spoken last night to Sunset Shimmer, student and former she-demon, about her actions and how she was to atone for the destruction done at her demon hands. While it was clear that Sunset had been influenced by other forces, she would not be held responsible for the damage at the front of the school. She would, however, be assigned to the cleanup team at the school the next morning as part of her disciplinary action, on top of a five-day suspension.

So, just as the sun was rising the next morning, it was a humbled and, admittedly, scared Sunset Shimmer that walked with Vice-Principal Luna down the darkened halls of the school, stopping in front of a plain door. Luna knocked, waiting for a reply.

“Come in,” a scratchy, gruff voice replied. Luna opened the door and stepped into the dimly-lit office. Sitting behind a cluttered desk was a shadowy figure wearing a battered, old Stetson hat, his feet resting on the desktop.

“A new helper for your cleanup team. Her name is Sunset Shimmer. She's here at my request,” Luna said. “See to it she does her fair share, and don't let her off easy like you do everyone else.”

“Yeah, yeah,” came the reply. “Don't worry, she'll be put to good use.”

“Thank you. Let me know if any problems arise and I will deal with them on Monday. I need to supervise out front today,” Luna said.

“Ol' Sunnybottom stuck you with that detail, did she?” the figure said with a chuckle. “Okay, if you want coffee, or anything to munch on, the food's in the usual spot. Just save some for the rest of us, and just remember that the Bavarian-crème-filleds are mine,” he said mock-menacingly.

“Not if I get to them first,” she teased, walking out the door. “I will see you Monday.” The door closed, leaving Sunset alone with this strange person. She began to tremble.

The feet swung off the desk and planted themselves on the floor. As he stood up, Sunset saw a middle-aged man, with grey skin, brown hair and brown eyes, and a smile on his face. “Sounds like you had a heck of a night last night. I'm Longhaul, the senior bus driver for the school. I don't believe we'd ever met before.”

“N-n—no,” Sunset stammered. “I—I'm sorry, I'm very scared right now,” Sunset said in a timid, quiet voice.

Longhaul approached Sunset slowly. “First of all, you can relax. I'm not gonna judge you, or give you a hard time for what happened, so get those thoughts out of your head. Second, you'll be with me today, so we'll work together and get things cleaned up. I know this is a punishment for you, but I will be fair in what I do regarding that end of it. I'm not gonna give you the worst jobs just because you made a mistake or two.”

“Even though I destroyed most of the front of the building?” Sunset asked quietly. “That's a bit more than a mistake.”

“Look, no one got hurt, and buildings can be repaired. Come on, let's head to the gym. We can usually have this done by lunchtime, if we get going on it now.” He opened the door and led Sunset out of the office, closing and locking the door behind him.

The two walked in silence down the hall toward the gym, mostly out of necessity because any conversation attempts would have been drowned out by the construction noises coming from the front of the school. Sunset paused and took in the damage her actions caused the night before. Outside, long dump trucks poured dirt into the crater that had formed upon her defeat by the Elements. At the entryway, workers using pneumatic hammers chipped away at the broken bricks, re-establishing the pattern for their eventual replacement. Other workers used wheelbarrows to remove chunks of concrete and brick from the courtyard and load it into an industrial dumpster located nearby. Through all of this, Luna walked among the workers, stopping briefly to confer with the general contractor or foreperson before walking to the next area.

Sunset was stunned, not having seen the full scope of her wrath until just now. “I... my magic did all of this?” she asked softly, not expecting anyone to really hear, or answer. She felt a hand nudging her back toward the gym, and Longhaul's voice in her ear. “Come on, we have work of our own to do,” he said, gently steering her down the hallway. Sunset took one last glance over her shoulder, blinking away a tear that was forming, before turning back and continuing her walk.

The two arrived at the gym, and Longhaul led sunset over to a table set up near the stage. On the table were boxes of donuts and other assorted breakfast pastries, large pitchers of orange and grapefruit juice, urns of coffee with bowls of sugar and pitchers of cream and milk next to them, along with plates, cups for hot and cold beverages, forks, and spoons. “We always grab a bite to eat before we get started,” Longhaul explained, “and Principal Celestia is really good about getting this stuff for us. No point working on an empty stomach, right?” He grinned. “Go on, help yourself, I need to grab at least one Bavarian crème before Luna steals them all.” He places a couple of donuts and a cinnamon roll on a plate, then goes to get some coffee.

Sunset takes a plate and settles on a blueberry muffin and a cup of orange juice. She goes over to the stage, where Longhaul is already sitting and eating his breakfast, and sits down next to him. “If you get hungry or thirsty while we're working, let me know and we can take a break to get you more,” Longhaul said in between bites.

Sunset half-heartedly nibbled on her muffin before looking at Longhaul. “Mister Longhaul, may I ask you a question?” she asked shyly.

“Absolutely … and you can just call me Longhaul, all the other kids do.”

Sunset took a deep breath. “Why are you being so nice to me? I know you heard what happened last night, and yet here you are acting as if nothing is wrong. You also must have heard what a horrible person I am, or was, or whatever. And yet, you're treating me nice, not making snide comments or cracking rude jokes about the 'rampaging she-demon,' which I'm sure I'll hear about when school starts back up.”

Longhaul finished his donut and took a sip of coffee. “Yeah,” he said nodding slowly, “I did hear about what happened last night. I heard all about it from Luna, when she set up this little form of penance for you. She also told me about your past history, and how you used to treat others. I gotta admit, you sure were a regular rhymes-with-witch, weren't you?” Sunset could only nod, head hung low.

“She also told me how sorry you were, about everything, and how totally dejected you were feeling. I listened to all of that, and got myself some sleep. And you know what happened? The sun rose, and a new day started. Everything that happened in the past? Doesn't matter in the here and now. What matters is that you pick yourself up, dust off, and move forward. The fact that you're being truly nice and not being a snippy little brat tells me that you're ready to move past it, too. The farther you move forward, the more distant past deeds become.” He took a sip of coffee.

“But, how do I face the students again? I pretty much alienated the entire school with my behavior, I don't suspect that they'd be too happy to see me again,” Sunset said in a sad voice.

“No, I don't suspect there will be too many that are happy to see you again. Some might even be downright hostile, even gloating about your comeuppance, possibly for days and months to come. You face that be keeping your head up and showing everyone that you've truly moved beyond what you were, and become a better person.” Longhaul set his plate down. “Sunset, I know that some day you will be able to redeem yourself in the eyes of the other students. It may not be right away, but I feel it will happen. Until that day comes, however, just keep reminding yourself that your past--” he stretched out an arm and wiggled the fingers on that hand “– is not today.” He jabbed the index finger from his other hand into his thigh for emphasis. “Live here,” he said, poking his thigh, “not back here,” he concluded, wiggling the fingers of his other hand.

Sunset nodded. “I'll try to do that … I just hope I can cope with the teasing I'm sure I'll be getting when I come back to school.”

“Personally, I think any teasing will come from your friends, mostly as a way of saying 'yeah, you did this, but it's okay because we still love you and we're not gonna let you forget it.' Just remember that it's meant in fun, as a way of bonding, and don't take any offense to it,” Longhaul replied. He passed a pair of work glove over to Sunset. “Let me grab one more donut and we'll get to work. And, once we finish, I'll even treat you to lunch if you want. Sound good?”

Sunset smiled, for the first time since she arrived that day. “You got it … Longhaul.”

He grinned, and went back to the goodie table. Looking through the selections, he sighed, and turned to Vice-Principal Luna. “You ate all the Bavarian cremes, didn't you?” he asked.

“Prvff it,” came Luna's muffled response through a mouthful of donut and powdered-sugary lips.

* * *

The work was hard, and at times aggravating, but Sunset never complained or shirked her duty. She still had to wonder how all the confetti got stuck under the stage, but she continued digging it all out anyway. The work on the gym went quick enough that the crew offered to help clean up the grounds around the school, removing whatever debris that could haul away and making the school look somewhat presentable for the resumption of classes on Monday morning.

Sitting in the Canterlot Cafe after the work was done, Longhaul and Sunset shared a booth, Sunset munching hungrily on a salad, and both her and Longhaul picking through a large basket of French fries. “You did good today, Sunset,” he said in between bites of deep-fried potato goodness. “Bet you never thought you'd be doing anything like this, did you?”

“I didn't even expect to still be here after last night,” Sunset replied, munching on a slice of cucumber. “I still feel like I have a lot to do to make it up to everyone.”

“You made a good start today, the rest will come with time. Just don't try to rush it,” Longhaul said. “As a matter of fact, from what Luna told me, you have already picked up a couple of friends. And, in my opinion, Gem and Raven are wonderful friends to have.”

Sunset thought about who Longhaul was talking about. She remembered the two other girls with Twilight, when the realization hit her. “You mean … Gem, the girl I made that horrible video about, still wanted to be friends with me after all of that?”

Longhaul nodded. “Gem's the type to look beyond a person's actions, and see the true self behind the facade. I guess once she realized that there was something else driving your behavior, once it was removed she could see the good person she knows you really are.”

Sunset nodded, and silently chewed on a lettuce leaf. She guessed Longhaul didn't know about her pony origins, or didn't have any great detail about them, so she let it go for now. Inside, though, she felt she was becoming more human than pony, having been among humans for so long and learning their ways.

She was brought back to reality by a touch on her hand. “Hey, Sunset … you okay?” Longhaul asked.

“I'm fine,” she replied, “I just have a lot to think about.”

“Okay, just making sure,” he said, going back to his lunch.

The rest of the meal passed in relative silence, and the two were finally on the way back to Sunset's apartment. Longhaul knew the complex, his bus passed by it every time he did his run, and he guided his car along the streets of Canterlot while Sunset looked out the window and watched the scenery pass by.

She thought about the events that had led her to this point in her life – her betrayal of Celestia's trust and friendship, her banishment to this strange world with even stranger creatures, her attempts to subjugate them and make them her pawns in the battle she was contemplating – and all of the things she did to those that just wanted nothing more than to be friends with the new girl at school, pushing them all away except for those that she close to be her personal lackeys. She had influence at the school but it came at the price of fear and intimidation. Now, the fortunes were reversed. She had no more power, no more influence, and no one to really turn to. She thought about Gem, and Raven, and even Twilight. Twilight's words about the magic and power of friendship struck her at her core. She had truly picked the wrong path and now would have to pay the penalty for that.

Longhaul pulled the car into a parking space at the apartment complex. “Home again, Sunset,” he said, touching her lightly on the shoulder. “You gonna be okay?”

She responded to this simple question by hugging Longhaul tight and beginning to cry, a deep, gut-heaving, from-the-very-soul cry that let all of the fear and pain out. Longhaul held Sunset gently and stroked her hair, letting her release all of the emotion that she had been bottling up for who-knew-how-long. Minutes passed, and Longhaul continued as he did for so many others before her, to just provide comfort and a shoulder to cry on. He whispered reassurances to Sunset as she finally let her weeping subside, drained of energy and tears.

Sunset straightened herself up, and wiped her eyes and nose with a tissue from her purse. “Thank you, Longhaul,” she said in a scratchy, quiet voice. “I guess the realization of what I had done, and the thought of facing everyone at school again, finally got to me. Sorry about your shirt.”

Longhaul smiled. “No apology needed. This shirt's been through worse, trust me. Now, before I go, there's just a couple of things I want to say. First, don't worry about school too much. Seek out Gem and Raven, they can help you rebuild your bridges with the other students.” He took a card out of his wallet and handed it to Sunset. “Second, and I tell this to any student that comes to me for help, if you ever need someone to talk to, a shoulder to lean on or cry on, or even if you need an emergency place to stay for whatever reason, you call me. My number's on that card. No questions, no judgment, no bull. Any time, day or night, you need my help and I'm there for you. Okay?”

Sunset put the card in her purse and smiled. “Okay. Does this mean we could be friends, too?”

“I don't see why not,” he said, smiling.

She gave him a hug, which he returned. “Thank you again, for everything,” Sunset said. Releasing the hug, she stepped out of the car and walked to her apartment, turning to wave as Longhaul backed out of the parking space and headed home. She rather liked this way of making friends, doing so without coercion or threats. _Yes,_ she thought, _she could get used to this._


	27. Lucky Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem, Emerald, and Twilight react to the casting of a female lead for their favorite science fiction program.

It was a hot summer day, and Gem was sitting outside on her balcony, enjoying an ice-cold cup of earl grey and allowing the sun to give her a slight tan. It wasn’t *quite* a tan though, as her natural grey complexion meant she just became a slightly darker shade of grey than an actual tan color, but she still liked the feel of July sun on her skin.

Idly, she picked up her phone and browsed around, switching between apps with a few swipes. She was waiting for news of who would be the new lead in her all-time favorite science fiction series, and rumors were buzzing that it might even be a woman. Considering the character had been portrayed by over a dozen men, the possibility was something she desperately wanted to see, but dared not hope. She’d been disappointed before, after all.

Then, a notification appeared: “Jodie Whittaker to play the 13th Doctor,” it said. Then another one, and another, and another.

Gem nearly dropped her phone in surprise, but caught it with her magic. She put a hand on her heart, astounded. “Am I dreaming?” she asked herself.

Then her phone rang; it was Emerald. Gem tapped the green “Accept Call” button, and Emerald’s voice blared out from her speakers: “Can you believe it?!” she shrieked.

“No!” Gem replied honestly. “I’m as surprised as you are!”

“She’s like us!” Emerald continued. “She’s just like us, Gem! I’m so happy!”

“Now, we begin the long wait until Christmas,” added Gem. Both girls sighed.

* * *

Six months later, Gem, Emerald, and Twilight sat in Gem’s basement home theater, watching the screen intently. They’d just spent the previous 55 minutes watching [two](https://lissystrata.deviantart.com/art/Reference-Sheet-Twelfth-Doctor-440304265) [versions](https://lissystrata.deviantart.com/art/Reference-Sheet-First-Doctor-302487769) of the same character solve a mystery about frozen time, and decide whether or not to continue living. In the end, the first version (played by a different actor than the one who had played him the 1960s, due to the original actor’s death) went to regenerate first, doing so by means of blending new footage with old footage.

Now, the second version (played by an actor with a thick Scottish brogue) [wander](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJqsPBWbtjk)s around the empty control room of his ship. “Oh, there it is,” he begins. “The silly old universe. The more I save it, the more it needs saving. It's a treadmill.” His ship makes some noises in reply, and he says, “Yes, yes, I know. They'll get it all wrong without me. I suppose one more lifetime wouldn't kill anyone. Well, except me.” 

A bell begins tolling as he begins to do a circuit of the room. “You wait a moment, Doctor! Let's get it right… I've got a few things to say to you. Basic stuff first: Never be cruel, never be cowardly, and never, ever eat pears! Remember, hate is always foolish. and love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind. Oh, and you mustn't tell anyone your name. No one would understand it, anyway. Except,” he collapses, “Except children. Children can hear it sometimes, if their hearts are in the right place, and the stars are too, children can hear your name… But nobody else. Nobody else, ever. Laugh hard, run fast, be kind.” He stands near the console, looking tired. “Doctor… I let you go.”

Then, he is enveloped in a golden stream of light, which causes significant damage to the room. There’s a shot of the man’s eyes, which gradually fade to a more feminine pair. Then there’s a white fade, and when the scene returns, the control room is covered in smoke. 

A ring falls off a slender hand, and the camera pans up to reveal the face of a young woman with blonde hair. When she sees her reflection, she smiles. “Oh, brilliant!” she says, in a Yorkshire accent. 

She presses a button on the keyboard in front of her, and there's a small explosion in the console. The ship tilts drastically and keeps going bang. The Doctor tries to hang on to the console, but loses her grip and slides towards the door which is now open with papers flying out of it. Now the ship is completely on its side, door open downwards. The cylindrical column in the console explodes and she falls out towards the distant ground as the ship, its interior in flames, vanishes.

As the credits roll, the three girls looked at each other in amazement. “Did… did that really just happen?” Emerald Wave asked, her voice trembling with emotion.

Gem nodded. “The Doctor is a woman now… just like us.”

“Does that mean she’s trans?” Emerald wondered.

“Not necessarily,” Twilight points out. “Two episodes ago, her previous self stated quite clearly that her race was far beyond the human conception of gender and its associated stereotypes.”

Emerald rolled her eyes. “So what, Sparks? That didn’t stop Missy from looking and acting like Mary Poppins’ evil twin sister. She got all kinds of fun out of being a girl! And if Missy is trans, then so is her best friend.”

“I agree,” said Gem happily, getting to her feet. “Representation matters! Just think of all the young girls, trans and cis, who will look at Thirteen and see themselves!”

“I know I do,” said Emerald, and she yawned. “Anyway, Sparks and I are gonna go to bed… thanks for letting us come over, Gem.”

Gem smiled and gave her two friends a hug each. “You’re both welcome,” she said happily. “I know I enjoy having you two around. Goodnight.” She clicks off the theater’s lights, and leads them upstairs.


	28. The Great American Eclipse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls travel to St. Luna to view a once-in-a-lifetime event.

It was an event that had been talked about for at least the last couple years. All across America, people of all ages, skin colors, and nationalities would come together to watch a total solar eclipse, the likes of which had not been seen since 1918. 

Naturally, Gemini Shadow and her friends were very excited about the coming celestial event, but living on the East Coast, they weren't in the path of totality.

"What do you suppose we do about this, girls?" Gem asked her friends, as they hung out in the main living room of their shared apartment. A pair of pince-nez glasses rested on her nose as she looked over her syllabi for the upcoming semester’s classes.

Twilight consulted a map on her tablet. "The path of totality stretches from Oregon to South Carolina, so if we want to see it properly, we'll have to go to one of those states in between."

Emerald raised a hand. "Why not just fly to St. Luna?" she suggested, typing furiously on her phone. "There's a hotel on Natural Bridge Road we could stay in, and we can grab some Ted Drewes to eat while we watch!”

Twilight chuckled. “How did I know you were going to say that?” she asked with a grin.

“Because you know me so well,” Emerald answered, making herself comfortable in Twilight’s lap. Her pale yellow fingers entwined with Twilight’s lavender ones, and she kissed the scientist’s cheek. 

Raven grinned at Gem. “Is it me, or have those two become even more amorous since their engagement?” she asked her wife.

“Oh, they definitely have,” Gem replied, giggling. “It’s adorable!”

Sunset, meanwhile, brought forward her own laptop. “Alright, let’s see here… we’ll need 4 rooms, since there’s eight of us. Gem and Raven, Twi and Emerald, me and Dagi, and Aria and Sonata…” She looked over at the two sisters. “Don’t get into an argument this time, you two. We don’t need a repeat of what happened after the McCartney concert.”

Aria glared. “Shimmer, if I’ve told you once I’ve told you a hundred times!” she barked. “Sonata’s the one who stole all the good stuff from the breakfast room, not me!”

“All I wanted was a breakfast taco!” Sonata exclaimed. “Sheesh, can’t a girl enjoy herself anymore?” The three continued glowering at each other for several seconds before collapsing into laughter.

Once she’d recovered, Sunset got to work finalizing their reservations, and Gem slid over her credit card so she could pay for the room. Then she got to work booking their plane tickets, and when that was done, stood up. “Okay, we’re all set!” she announced. “We’re going to see the eclipse!” Everyone cheered.

* * *

To everyone’s great relief, the hotel they’d picked sat within the path of totality, meaning that for a few seconds, the girls would get to look at the obscured sun without needing to use the special spell that Twilight and Sunset had been working on to replicate the effects of eclipse glasses. They now sat on the large balcony of Gem and Raven’s room, with drinks of various sizes and types and cups of frozen custard near their chairs.

“So, how is this spell supposed to work, Sparks?” Emerald asked.

“Essentially, it’s the magical equivalent of a solar filter,” Twilight explained, wiping the lenses of her glasses clean with her magic. “Solar filters block most of the sunlight to avoid any damage to the eyes, and proper filters are usually made from a durable glass or polymer film that transmits only 0.00001% of the light. However, because eclipse glasses have been so hard to find lately, Sunset and I developed a spell that, if cast correctly, will replicate those effects perfectly.”

“And before anyone asks,” Sunset added, “We checked things over with Princess Twilight. She says our spell fits the Equestrian standard for viewing an eclipse, and since Equestria and Earth are the same distance away from their respective suns, that should be true here as well.”

“But there’s only one way to find out,” Twilight continued. “We have two hours to go until the eclipse, so there’s no time like the present to make sure our spell works.” Their bodies started to glow as the ponied up, then they held each other’s hands. A black sphere formed around the balcony, shrouding it in almost total darkness, save for the incredibly small dot of light in the sky that was the sun.

Slowly and cautiously, everyone looked up. “I’m not reporting any problems, Twilight,” Sunset reported. “You?”

“None here either,” Twilight replied. Similar remarks were said by the other six girls, and Twilight smiled. “Okay! I think we can call this experiment a complete success! As long as Sunset and I remain ponied up, the shield will remain in place!”

“Good thing we got more control over that now,” Emerald commented, sipping her Dr. Pepper. “Nice moves there, you two.” She kissed Twilight’s cheek again.

The girls chatted amicably amongst themselves for the next couple hours, while Gem (being sensitive to time as she was) kept an eye on the clock. Outside the shield, the sky began to darken as the moon passed over the sun. The temperature dropped. Then, Gem made her announcement: “Girls, we’re in totality! You can drop the shield!”

Twilight and Sunset did so, and the eight friends were treated to a rare sight: the moon, surrounded by the sun’s rays, and a sky that looked as dark as evening, even though it was afternoon. Though Gem could have used her time magic to slow down the flow of time around them to a significant amount, she chose not to; some things had to be experienced as they were.

“It’s beautiful…” Raven breathed, looking up with the others.

“Bet they don’t have this in Equestria,” Emerald remarked, glancing at Sunset.

“Actually, they do,” Sunset replied. “A solar eclipse on the longest day of the year, and a lunar eclipse on the longest night, to mark the lengthening and shortening of day and night respectively. Even so… this is the first time I’ve seen one in this world.” As totality ended, they put the shield back up.

“We’ve seen a few in our time,” Adagio commented. “Though I wouldn’t try counting them.”

“I’m just glad I got to share it with all of you,” said Gem, hugging each of them. “I love you, girls.”

“And we love you, Gem,” said the others, hugging her back.


	29. Magic is Talking Horses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an alternate timeline, Gem and a younger Longhaul travel to Equestria, only to come home transformed.

Gemini Shadow did not believe in magic. She’d grown up understanding that magic was the domain of stage magicians, who relied on elaborate uses of misdirection and sleight of hand to make audiences believe someone had been sawed in half, when in fact, it was all an elaborate deception. All that changed, however, when she first met Pinkie Pie, and learned the truth: magic was real, and there were seven girls at her school who could wield it. Gem did not know why magic was limited to those seven girls, but she intended to find out.

As she approached the school one cold January morning, she felt herself shiver. “It feels like I shouldn’t be here,” she said to herself, as she parked her Aston Martin in the lot near the barren athletic fields. She quickly crossed the campus and approached the statue portal. “Will it even work for me?” she mused.

Cautiously, she reached out and touched the base. Instead of cold stone however, the surface rippled like water, and her hand passed through as easily as if she was dipping it into a pool.

Gem gasped. “This should be impossible… but it’s happening…” She looked hurriedly around, as if for some sign that an administrator would come and try to stop her. Seeing no one, Gem took a deep breath and prepared to climb through.

A hand grabbed Gem by the shoulder, and she turned to see Sunset Shimmer standing behind her. Sunset had a stern look on her face. “Planning a trip somewhere, were we?” she asked, never releasing her grip on Gem’s shoulder. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to go to a different dimension without an escort of forehand knowledge of where you’re going? Or knowing how you’re gonna get back?”

Gem frowns and crosses her arms. “I see you and your friends go through all the time,” she points out. She squirms, trying to free herself from Sunset’s grip. “What makes you seven so special, anyway? If you can go through, I don’t see why the rest of us can’t!”

Sunset sighed. “Gem, it’s not that simple. Yes, we do travel through the portal, but we’ve been instructed on what to do and what to expect. We know the risks and who we can and cannot trust. Some of us have more…” She paused briefly. “… more intimate knowledge of what lies beyond.” She relaxed her hold on Gem’s shoulder slightly. “We also know they don’t want a lot of people from this world crossing over as it could upset the balance of things in both our worlds. It’s not that we’re trying to keep it for ourselves, it’s that we have rules to follow about it, too.”

“Then I can’t go through after all?” she asks, looking disappointed, though not angry. She understood Sunset’s reasoning, even if she didn’t like it. “I won’t cause any trouble, I just want to explore! Is that really so wrong?”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t go … you just can’t go stampeding through the portal unprepared or unescorted.” Sunset smiled. “Gem, I like you, you’re a really cool girl. How about you and I take a trip through this weekend? I can show you around and help you deal with what you’re going to experience. Would that be okay?”

“Yes please!” Gem smiled back and gave Sunset a hug. “Is it alright if I bring someone with me? His name is Longhaul, and… well, we’re rather close. I couldn’t bear to leave him behind!”

“You mean … Longhaul the bus driver?” Sunset asked. She thought about this for a little bit. “I’d have to ask first, but at the moment I don’t see a problem. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out.”

Gem nodded, and hugged Sunset once more. “Thank you again!” she says, before heading back the way she came.

Sunset smiled and continued on her way.

* * *

That Saturday, Gem and Longhaul stood by the statue with Sunset. Permissions had been granted with a cryptic caution about Longhaul being in public areas, which Sunset was finishing explaining to the two. Longhaul seemed puzzled by this but remained unfazed.

“And all we gotta do is walk through and we’ll appear somewhere in another world?” he asked, observing the portal up close for the first time.

Sunset nodded. “Basically, yes. Just try not to panic, keep your wits about you, and you’ll both be fine.”

Gem squeezed Longhaul’s hand and kissed his cheek, smiling. “Okay… I think I’m ready.” She grins a bit at Longhaul and says, “Engage.” Then she steps through, disappearing in a flash of light.

She travels through a bright and colorful vortex, and while inside, her body is stretched and transformed in ways she never thought possible before. Then it’s all over, and she lies on the other side, eyes closed and moaning to herself. “Ugh… I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck…”

“Probably the same one that hit me…” Longhaul croaked. He looked around, and at the two ponies next to him…wait a moment. Longhaul looked again. Sure enough, he saw two ponies, one with Sunset’s hair color and style, one with Gem’s. He looked at his hooves…and was stunned that he had hooves now. “Sunset…what kind of place is this?” he asked, feeling panic creeping into his mind. The panic turned to curiosity when he saw that Sunset now had what appeared to be a horn on top of her head. Surprisingly, so did Gem.

Sunset stood up on her hooves and smiled at Gem and Longhaul. “Welcome to… Equestria.”

Gem looks around at the beautiful crystalline palace in which they’ve found themselves, and catches her reflection in a nearby wall. “I’m a pony…” she whispers, awed. “A unicorn even! This is wonderful!” She bounces around all four hooves. “Sunset, this is amazing! How long have you known about this place?” She throws her forelegs around Longhaul’s neck, nuzzling him. “I also see you’re just as handsome on four legs as you are on two!”

Longhaul looks around and sees his reflection for the first time. He smiles, seeing his familiar hat on top of his head. He looks at Gem. “You’re pretty cute yourself, sweetie.”

“I heard commotion, what’s going on in…oh!” All heads turn to see Princess Twilight enter the room. “Hi Sunset, are these the guests you told me about? Welcome to Equestria, Gemini and …oh my… you weren’t kidding about him, were you, Sunset?”

Gem waves, turning to the princess. “Why are you so worried? Even Sunset mentioned we should use caution in public spaces."

“Well, it’s not just that, it’s—”

Twilight was interrupted by a voice behind her. “Miss Twilight, I do hate to be a bother but I need you to sign this so… I can… get … … … what in tarnation?” The voice belonged to an earth pony, wearing a battered Stetson hat, and wearing a set of saddlebags and a harness. He walked over to Longhaul, and the two stared hard at each other in disbelief and shock.

“We were more worried about that,” Sunset said sheepishly. “We weren’t sure what would happen bringing Longhaul here, and since there already was a Longhaul in this world, we felt it best to keep him…out of view if his transformation happened like we thought it might…and did.”

“So I see,” says Gem quietly, looking around at the two Longhauls in amazement. She faces Pony Longhaul and attempts some introductions. “Hello there! We’re visitors from another universe. I’m Gemini, and this is… well, my Longhaul. It’s nice to meet you!” She offers a hoof, then loses her balance and falls over, since she’s not entirely used to four legs yet.

Pony Longhaul looks on the verge of nervous collapse. “Y-you mean…there’s another me?”

Human Longhaul nods. “Looks that way. It’s still nice to meet…me…um, so what do you do for a living here?”

“I’m a...freight hauler. Nothing important or special, mind you…” Pony Longhaul stammered.

Human Longhaul smiled. “I did the same thing, back in my world. Guess we have something in common after all.”

Pony Longhaul smiles a little bit, relaxing slightly.

“Nowadays, he works as a bus driver at my school,” Gem adds. “If there’s another you here, does that mean there’s another me too?”

Twilight nods. “As a matter of fact, yes! I recently helped her with a… project that needed doing.”

“What kind of project?” Gem asks curiously, letting the two Longhauls talk.

“Change me into a mare, of course,” says a new voice. Pony Gem enters the room and looks over at her counterpart. “I was born a stallion you see, but Princess Twilight and her student developed a spell to turn me into a biological mare.”

“Really!” Human Gem smiles. “That’s amazing! I have to get by with estrogen and spironolactone pills.” She takes her phone out and shows Pony Gem a picture of herself and Longhaul, taken last Christmas. “That’s me now,” she says, “In my own world.”

Pony Gem smiled back. “You look beautiful, my dear,” she says. “No matter which species you are.”

Human Gem blushed. “Thank you, me.”

Sunset looked at Twilight. “Well, it seems our worries were unfounded, for the most part.” The two watch the humans chat with their pony counterparts for a short while.

“So, this whole world has been sitting right under our noses at the school and no one ever noticed it?” Longhaul asked Sunset.

Sunset nodded. “I guess no one really thought anything of it. The statue looks pretty normal, it’s when you touch it in a certain place that you notice the portal, as Gem found out.”

“I think we’re all lucky no one on our side has tried to exploit it for their own gain,” Gem agrees. “I dare not imagine what would happen if something were to go horribly wrong!”

“And now you see why we were so careful to protect it and not let just anyone go running through into Equestria,” Sunset said. “I made it my mission after my redemption to protect it from harm and malicious intent…mostly because this is my home. I’m counting on you two to not reveal anything you have seen or will see here to anyone back in the human world.”

Gem nods solemnly. “We won’t say anything Sunset, I promise.” Then she smiles. “Since this is your home, mind showing us around?”

“Not just yet,” Princess Twilight interrupts. She points a hoof at the two humans, “You’ll have to be disguised first, so nopony wonders why there are suddenly two Longhauls and two Geminis running around. Luckily, I’ve been working on reverse-engineering changeling disguise magic, so I might be able to come up with something. I won’t have any control over your forms though, so be prepared for anything. Ready?”

Pony Longhaul nods. “I can see why that would be a concern, based on my reaction the first time I saw you. Could be a mite confusing.”

Human Longhaul looks concerned at Twilight’s words. “That really doesn’t fill me with confidence, but…I will do what I must. Your world, your rules.”

Twilight nods and begins to cast her spell, her horn glowing somewhere between her usual magenta and the acid green of Thorax’s changelings. Fire erupts at the hooves of Human Gem ans Longhaul, transforming them.

The fires fade and Longhaul blinks to clear his vision. Twilight and Sunset look at him in amazement. Rushing to a nearby mirror, Longhaul appraises his appearance. He stands tall, with the appearance of a Saddle Arabian pony. His coat is a light shade of brown, with a deep black mane that flows from his head and neck. His tail is silky and just as black as his mane. His frame is slender and toned. “I don’t think there’ll be any confusion now,” he remarks, looking his form over. “What say you, Gem, what do you—” He looks at her and is stunned.

Gem has transformed into a blonde maned earth mare with soft orange fur, and an hourglass on her flank. She catches her reflection and grins. “Oh, brilliant!” she exclaims, in a completely different accent to her usual one. “I think you can call me… Sigma,” she says at last, before turning to Longhaul. “What shall I call you?”

“Lorenzo,” Longhaul said with an air of pomposity. He can’t hold it in and breaks down in giggles. “Sigma, you look stunning like that!” He gives a twirl. “What say you now, fair maiden? Do I appeal to you at all?”

“You do indeed,” Sigma says with a grin, and wraps her hooves around his neck, running them through his mane as she kisses him deeply.

Gem giggles and nuzzles Longhaul, watching this. “I’m so glad our love for one another remains constant.”

“As am I,” Longhaul replies, kissing Gem back.

A blushing Twilight clears her throat. “Um…okay, you two are clear to explore with Sunset. Just stay with her and listen to what she tells you, and please don’t wander off on your own.”

Sunset giggles. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I’ll keep ‘em … reined in.”

Sigma laughs. “Since you were born a unicorn Sunset, I’ll allow it,” she says, trotting over to the unicorn. “Lead the way!”

* * *

The three ponies wandered through the streets of Ponyville, saying polite hellos to the ponies that approached them and admiring the many different buildings. They even got a slight chuckle at the buildings and places that were similar. Sunset showed Gem and Longhaul around, answering their questions and handling the introductions.

As they approach a particular manor house, Sigma points. “Oh look Lorenzo, it’s my house!” she exclaims. “But designed for ponies!” She whistles, obviously impressed.

Lorenzo nods. “Indeed, Sigma, that must be where dear Gemini lives. I’d love to see inside, and see if the similarities stop at the exterior of the house.”

“Well, she did give me permission to let you two inside,” says Sunset, “So I guess it’s okay.” She trots up the path and opens the door with her magic, revealing an opulent interior that looks just like its human-world counterpart.

Sigma looks around, amazed. “Oh my… what a beautiful home! It even smells the same!”

“At least I know you two share a similar taste for decoration. I wonder if you two share your taste for special someones?” Lorenzo said as he checked out the decor.

“It seems that way,” Sigma notes, trotting into the sitting room. It was now filled with pictures of Gem and Longhaul, and even had a few Appleoosan touches here and there.

“Well, well, well…” Lorenzo said, looking at the pictures. “This is fascinating, mind-blowing, and unbelievable all at the same time. They do make a pretty couple, don’t they?”

Sigma nods in agreement, “Most definitely. I’m pleased to see we’re so alike!” She kisses Lorenzo’s cheek, then says, “Still, we should probably keep going, I think Sunset wants to show us Sugarcube Corner next.”

“Of course.” He turns to Sunset. “Thank you for letting us detour through here, please continue the tour. I’m finding all of this so fascinating right now, and to think my twin does the same job I used to do! I wonder…do they even have school buses here in Equestria?”

Sunset shakes her head, “We have school carts, which are usually pulled by earth ponies, but other than that, our technology is a little less advanced compared to what you humans have.” She leads them out of the house and back toward the town. “Ponies have magic after all, which eliminates the need for things like internal combustion engines.”

“So that’s why the air smells so clean here!” Sigma realizes.

“Any energy we need to generate comes from natural sources, like the sun and wind. We recently put a solar farm out in the San Palomino Desert, which generates enough power to run everything in Equestria along with a wind farm to serve as a backup source,” Sunset explained. “There’s no reliance on fossil fuels like there is in the human world.”

Lorenzo is clearly impressed. “Shame we couldn’t make that a reality in our world.” He then spots the whimsically-decorated building they are approaching. “Sugarcube Corner, I take it?” he asks.

Sunset nods, “And home to the best cinnamon rolls in all of Equestria! Their donuts are good too, but not as good as Donut Joe’s.” She pushes open the door, and the three head inside. “Get whatever you want, I’m paying.”

“I would hope so, I don’t think our money followed us over,” Lorenzo said with a smile. The three order their goodies and sit at an empty table.

Sigma munches on her scone, watching the other ponies eat their own snacks, and smiles. “This is such a peaceful place… I feel more relaxed just by being here!” She smiled at Sunset. “Which reminds me… what will you do when we graduate, Sunset? Come back here?”

“I haven’t really decided yet,” Sunset said, nibbling her cinnamon roll. “I could enroll in college here, continue my magical studies if they allow me to do that. Or, I could stay in the human world and go to college there, maybe find a career in something I like and settle down. There’s a lot to consider, plus the fact that I’ve been away for so long from this place. I’ll figure something out by the time we graduate.”

“I already know what I want to do,” says Sigma, sipping her tea. “Start an LGBT rights organization! I shall call it the Rainbow Alliance!”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Sunset exclaimed. “Let me know if the girls and I can help you, I’m sure they’d be glad to do it!”

“I’ll help you too, as much as I can, “ Lorenzo said, leaning over and nuzzling Sigma.

Sigma returned the nuzzle, smiling back. “Thanks you two, I’d be glad for your help!”

The three eventually finish their snacks, and by the time they get back to the castle, it’s close to sunset. Sigma yawns as she enters, and says, “Today was amazing, but I’m more than ready to get home… how about you, Lorenzo?"

“Oh, absolutely. I think I’ve done more walking today than I have in the past week.” Lorenzo smiles, and bows to Twilight. “Thank you for your hospitality, and for allowing us to visit your wonderful world. Maybe someday we can return, or you can visit us if you’re so inclined.”

Twilight smiles back. “It’s a pleasure to have you both here. See you soon!” She hugs them all, then Sunset leads them back through the mirror.

Arriving back at the front lawn of CHS, Gem stretches, looking very glad to be herself again. Then she stops. “Oh… oh my!” Her skin isn’t its usual grey, but the same color it had been when she’d been changed! “The mirror didn’t change us back properly!”

Longhaul looks, and notices his skin is still a light shade of brown. “You’re right… Sunset, what’s going on here?”

Sunset looks worried. “I don’t know…I’ll get in touch with Twilight and try to find out. I’ve got the journal in my car. What are you two gonna do in the meantime?”

“I was probably going to go home,” Gem replies. “Meet up at my house in an hour?” she asks.

Sunset nods. “Sounds good. I’ll be along as soon as I can.”

Longhaul walks with Gem. “Let’s get going, I can make us some dinner when we get to your house. I’m sure this can be fixed…” He looks at Sunset. “… right?”

Sunset sighs. “I sure hope so.”

* * *

Not wanting to chance it in case their systems couldn’t process meat products, Longhaul instead made a simple vegetarian stir-fry with rice. The two were eating when there was a knock on the door. Gem went to answer it, and let Sunset in. Her hair was slightly mussed and she looked exhausted. “Okay,” Sunset said, “I’ve been looking into why your skin tones didn’t change back when you crossed the portal.”

“Okay,” Longhaul said, “what did you find out?”

“For starters, there’s no record of a problem like this ever happening, mostly because there’s been no record of any humans form this world crossing into Equestria before. Nothing from Star Swirl, the princesses, nopony. So, I contacted Princess Twilight and asked her if she had any ideas on what might have happened.”

“And what did she say?” Gem asked.

Sunset sighed. “She’s as stumped as I am. She’s consulting with Princess Celestia now, and I’m gonna keep working from this end.”

Gem runs her fingers through her hair, looking concerned. “What are we going to do about school tomorrow, Sunset?” she asked. “No one will believe it’s me, I don’t even sound like me anymore!”

Longhaul puts a hand on Gem’s shoulder. “So, we’ll take a sick day. Hopefully by then, we’ll have it figured out.”

“Yes… that’s a good idea,” Gem agrees. She smiles a little at Longhaul. “You’re still very handsome, whether pony or human."

“And you’re still beautiful,” Longhaul replied with a blush, smiling at Gem.

“Yes, yes, you’re both gorgeous,” Sunset said with a little annoyance and a slight hint of embarrassment. Her book started to buzz. “Hang on, I think Twilight might have come up with something.” She opens the book and begins to read to herself.

“Dear Sunset: I talked to King Thorax. He says that since changeling magic completely changes the caster’s species, it tricked the mirror into thinking that Gem and Longhaul’s disguised forms were their normal forms, and changed them into humans resembling those as a result. He’ll be flying here tomorrow or Tuesday to work on a solution. Updates to follow as events warrant. Your friend, Princess Twilight.”

“Okay, so we take a couple of days off from school and we get this fixed. We just need to lay low until then…” Longhaul paused. “But…then, how do we get to the portal without being seen by the other students?”

“Maybe arrange to go at night?” Gem proposes, finishing her meal.

“There’s a basketball game tomorrow, and I think the school board’s meeting at the school the next night,” Longhaul replied. “We can probably figure out something in the meantime, though. No need to panic just yet.”

Gem nods, and gives Sunset a hug. “I’m glad you’re here,” she says. “I don’t what we’d do without you!”

Sunset returns the hug. “It’s fine, honest. And your secret’s safe with me,” she said, giving both Gem and Longhaul a wink. “I’ll arrange to get your homework to you, so you don’t miss anything, Gem. How are you gonna handle your end, Longhaul?”

“Already done,” he said, finishing tapping out a message on his phone. “Just passed word that I’ll be out for a few days, and they’ll have our fill-in driver handling my route.”

Sunset nods. “Sounds like a plan,” she says, getting up. “Anyway, I gotta get home. School tomorrow, you know. I’ll come over the minute I hear back from Twilight.” Gem leads her to the door, and Sunset leaves.

Now alone, Gem yawns, and returns to Longhaul, wrapping her arms around him. “Since we suddenly have a couple days off from school,” she says, “What would you like to do tomorrow?"

He smiles. “At the moment, I have no plans, but whatever it is we do better be kept low-key, so we aren’t spotted.” He kisses her nose. “Other than that, anything you’d like to do is fine with me.”

“Then I believe I have a few ideas,” she says with a giggle. “But again, tomorrow. For now, I’m exhausted.” She wanders up the stairs to the master bedroom, rather than her own solo room. “Care to spend the night with me?” she asks.

“Hmm … sounds scandalous,” Longhaul said, stroking his chin as if in thought. “Of course, I’d love to, my dear.” He followed her up the stairs.

Once in the room, Gem undresses, stripping down to just a pair of panties. “Wouldn’t you know it? I’m a cis girl now…” she realizes. “Amazing…”

Longhaul, having removed his shirt and trousers, walks over to Gem and pulls her close. “Amazing…and extremely beautiful.” He kisses her neck and rubs her back, holding her close to him.

“Why thank you,” she says with a soft smile, returning the kiss and nuzzling his cheek with her nose.

As Gem cuddles with Longhaul, she sits down on the bed, kissing his lips deeply and passionately and running her fingers through his hair. Unbeknownst to either of them, she begins to transform, her human ears melting away to be replaced with pony ones, and a tail the same blonde color as her hair sprouting from her rear.

Longhaul kisses just as passionately, his hands rubbing over her back. Pulling back from the kiss, he looks at her ample bosom, and lowers his head to kiss and nibble around her nipples. His tail is straining to be released from the confines of his underwear, the base twitching back and forth and his now-ponified ears flicking in excitement and happiness as he ministers to Gem’s breasts.

Realizing she’s still standing, Gem sinks onto the soft bed, sitting up so he can continue his ministrations. She moans softly, her tail swishing madly. She keeps busy by planting kisses on the tips of his ears, since they were so easily accessible.

Their tails having broken free of their cloth confines, Longhaul continues kissing and suckling on Gem’s breasts. His tail flicked wildly and he gasped a little when Gem kissed his ears. Feeling daring, he hooks his thumbs in her waistband and slides her panties down toward the floor before stripping himself. His hands wandered over her buttocks and tickled under her tail as he gently guided her down onto the bed, laying her on her back, while he ran his tongue over her sensitive nipples and kissed around her breasts.

Gem giggles as her tail is tickled, and swishes it teasingly, letting out a pleased neigh before she can stop herself. She lies down on the bed, her head on the pillow. Milk dribbles out from her breasts and onto Longhaul’s tongue.

Gem also begins to change in other ways, now that they’ve grown more passionate. Fur the same bright yellow-orange color as her skin begins to sprout, and her nose and mouth begin pushing forwards, out into an equine muzzle. Her feet morph into hooves, and her fingers become shorter and stubbier, her nails extending and flattening to form little hooflets at the ends of her hands. She whinnies as the changes complete themselves, but doesn’t stop her ministrations.

The changes don’t seem to be affecting Longhaul either. He hungrily laps up her lactations, his hands roaming over her silky fur and along her flanks. Wrapping his hooves around her, he rolls and pulls her on top of him, stroking her back down to the base of her tail and along the curve of her rump down as far as he can reach. He looks at her with a deep love in his eyes, and kisses her deeply and passionately.

Gem returns the kiss, wrapping her muzzle around Longhaul’s as best she can, and after breaking it off, whispers: “You, my dear Longhaul, are the most handsome stallion in this or any other universe,” she says, the fact that the pony term just came from her mouth as easily as breathing didn’t seem to occur to her.

“And you, dearest Gemini, are the most perfect and lovely mare I consider myself lucky to call my own,” he whispered, kissing lightly at her neck.

Gem neighs softly, before reaching out to turn off the light. “Goodnight, my darling,” she whispers. “See you in the morning.”

Longhaul smiles and cuddles close. “Goodnight, love. Pleasant dreams,” he says softly, and with a final kiss on her eartip.

* * *

The next morning, Gem is going about her normal morning routine. The fact that she’s doing it as a humanoid pony doesn’t seem to bother her, in fact, she thinks it’s perfectly normal! After a long, luxurious shower, she runs a brush through her mane, tail, and coat, then dresses, putting on panties, a bra, and a simple t-shirt and jeans, all of which have been magically modified to suit an equine form. She then trots downstairs toward the kitchen, taking a deep sniff of the air. “And what does my majestic chef have for me this fine morning?” she asks, standing on her tippy hooves so she can wrap her arms around him, and poke his muzzle lightly with her finger.

“For some reason, I woke up craving pancakes this morning,” he said, spooning batter onto a hot griddle. “So, I figured I’d make my special apple pancakes today, since I’m still not sure about the whole meat thing yet.” He turns his head and plants a kiss on her forehead. “Did you sleep okay last night?” he asked.

“I slept wonderfully,” she says with a smile, kissing his cheek and letting go so he can focus. “Between the blanket and your lovely fur coat, I wasn’t cold at all! Which is useful, as this house can get rather drafty at times."

“I can definitely see advantages to staying like this,” Longhaul said with a playful smile. “I’m almost tempted to head out and do some shopping today, just to shake things up.”

Gem widens her eyes. “Are you sure it’ll be safe?” she asks worriedly. “I mean… we’re even more pony-like than the girls are when they change! What if you get captured and taken away to be experimented on?”

Longhaul turns and boops Gem on her nose. “And I absolutely love how you can immediately jump to the most outrageous scenario your mind can create.” He chuckles. “I was only joking about going out, I know we can’t be seen around town like this. We’ll just stay in and wait for any news from Sunset.”

Gem breathes a sigh of relief, and nods. “Speaking of Sunset… imagine her reaction when she sees how we’ve changed! But then, if this is changeling magic... maybe we can shift to how we were before?” She thinks, tapping her chin. “Anything’s possible… I don’t even think Sunset knows how magic works here."

“Technically, magic isn’t supposed to work here, but it does somehow. Maybe you should talk to her about it.” Longhaul turned and flipped the pancakes.

“Maybe I will,” says Gem, taking out her phone. She dials Sunset’s number and puts it on speaker, so she doesn’t have to mess with putting her phone to her pony ears. When Sunset picks up, she gets right to the point: “Sunset? I think there were some unintended side effects… Longhaul and I got romantic last night, and… well, we’re half human and half pony. My theory is that since we’ve been affected by changeling magic, we might be able to shift between human and pony forms at will, but I’m not sure. Do you think it’s possible?"

“That’s quite interesting,” Sunset’s voice said over the speaker. “It could be possible that the changeling magic is wearing off, and now you’re in a state of flux. Let me write to Princess Twilight and see what she thinks. We might be able to change you back tonight, if that’s the case.”

“There’s no rush,” Gem reassures. “I think we both like being ponies! We’ll see you soon!” She hangs up. “Well, love? What say you? Should we try changing ourselves?"

“I think we should at least wait and see what Sunset has to say,” Longhaul answered. “I don’t know all that much about this magic, and I wouldn’t want to do something to make it permanent.”

Gem nods. “That’s fair. I’m thinking the same.” She settles in, and when breakfast is ready, starts munching on her pancakes.

* * *

Sunset returns that evening, while Gem and Longhaul are cuddling on the couch in front of an episode of Star Trek. “Hey you two,” she says, entering the room. “So here’s what Twilight said: we were right, the changeling magic is wearing off. Since it was applied to you as ponies, it turned you into ponies. And as changelings feed on love, well… there we are.”

“And what about changing back?” Gem asks. “Is it possible?”

Sunset nods, reaching into her backpack and tossing over a couple of amulets. “Wear these, and you’ll be able to go between your normal human forms and these at will.”

Longhaul took his amulet and turned it over in his hooves carefully. “So, how does it work? Is there anything we have to say or do to activate it?”

Sunset shook her head. “Nope. It automatically bonds with the magic already in your body, so… just think of which form you want and you’ll change.” Gem puts hers on (both are attached to necklaces) and thinks, and with a flash of green fire, she’s human again. More specifically, she’s her grey-skinned, brown haired self once more. She smiles. “Thank goodness!”

Longhaul puts his amulet on, and closes his eyes. In a flash, his skin is back to its original gray tone and his brown hair is once again back. “Easy enough,” he says with a smile. He studies his amulet. It seemed to be in the shape of a wagon wheel with wings on it. “Interesting design,” he said. “I know I’ve seen it before…”

“And mine is a pocketwatch…” says Gem thoughtfully. “What do they mean, Sunset?”

“Those are your cutie marks,” she explains. “Or rather, the cutie marks your pony selves have.”

Longhaul’s eye widened. “I knew it looked familiar! Very clever indeed, send my regards to the Princess about this!”

“I will!” Sunset smiles. “See you two tomorrow!” She waves, then departs. Once she’s gone, Gem changes forms again, and runs her furred hands along Longhaul’s form. “This’ll be fun,” she admits, giggling softly. “Being able to change species whenever I wish.”

Longhaul changed into pony form as well, and smiled. “Think of all the money we can save on Halloween costumes now,” he joked. He looked at Gem. So, now that you’ve experienced it, what do you think of magic now?”

“I love it,” she replies, nuzzling Longhaul’s cheek. “It’s the most wonderful thing in the whole world!” A thought occurs to her. “If we have foals, would they be human or pony?”

“You know, I haven’t really thought that far ahead,” Longhaul replied. “We have plenty of time to find out, however.” He smooched her cheek.

“Absolutely,” Gem purrs, smiling. “Why don’t we go get started?” She removes her top and stands.

Longhaul grins, and stands up. “Lead the way, my beloved darling mare,” he said in a low, silky voice.

“With pleasure, my handsome stallion,” replies Gem, and she leads him up to their room.

* * *

Two weeks have passed since the most interesting weekend Gem and Longhaul had ever had. They’d spent a day in the world on the other side of the portal statue, then when they came back, ended up becoming ponies themselves after a particularly amorous evening. Then, Gem had discovered that she was, in fact, pregnant. Which meant it was time for her to have a difficult conversation.

So, one evening in early February, Gem finds herself knocking on the door. “Sunset? It’s me!” she calls out.

“Coming!” a voice says. Sunset opens the door shortly thereafter. “Oh, hey Gem! What’s up?”

“I need to talk to you,” Gem replies. “It’s important, and best not spoken of in mixed company.”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place,” says Sunset with a smile. “It’s my bachelorette pad after all. Come on in!” She leads Gem inside and closes the door. The apartment is pretty small, dominated by a loft-style bed on which her mattress sits, accessed by a staircase.

Beside the bed are two small bookshelves, and a chest of drawers in the corner. Below that is her desk, and a small fridge and microwave. Sunset leads her up the steps to her bed and sits down, and Gem does the same. “So… whatcha got?”

“Sunset… I’m pregnant,” says Gem eventually. “With Longhaul’s foal.” She shows the other girl a pregnancy test, which is positive.

“But how?” Sunset asks, confused. “You’re not cis, Gem.”

“I am as a pony,” Gem explains, changing into her pony form as she speaks. “And that means I’m going to have to go to school as a pony. In a world full of humans. How can I make that work?”

Sunset was stunned, quite beyond words at this point. Her mind reeled with joy for her friends, and worry about the physiological complications involved with this pregnancy. She hugged Gem close and said, “Gem, I’m happy for you and Longhaul, and I will do what I can to find out how we can make this all work out…” She stopped. “Wait…you and Longhaul have been dating this whole time?”

Gem nods, “Ever since December, actually,” she says, hugging her friend back. “Until now we haven’t told anyone, but… word’s going to spread eventually. People will talk. And I’m afraid of how they’ll react."

Sunset’s eyes widen. “You’re right, he could get fired for this...or worse. Better keep it quiet from the others for now, and I’ll see what Princess Twilight has to say about it. This is kind of new territory, so I don’t know how much help she can provide. How did Longhaul take the news?”

“He was happy, if concerned for me,” Gem admits, running a hand through her mane. “We’re both worried that the extended gestation period of equine fetuses compared to humans could have lasting after effects, both physically and psychologically.” She paws at the floor with her hooves.

“Well, I think you made a good decision keeping your important parts in pony form,” Sunset said, noting Gem’s anthro appearance. “It might even be possible to keep you in this form until the school year ends, and have you turn full pony afterward. With the longer gestation period, it might delay you showing until well after school is out. That’s something I’ll check with Twilight about, too. Maybe even Princess Celestia might have some insights into this.”

Gem nods solemnly, then a thought hits her. “If I go full pony after graduation, would it make sense for both of us to move to Equestria, or would portal travel be too dangerous for the foal?” She peers worriedly down at her belly.

“Technically, your foal is currently surrounded by magic, as this isn’t your natural form,” Sunset explained. “And I think that, if you cross as an anthro, converting to pony won’t have any effects on your little passenger. I’ll be sure to include that in my letter to Twilight, just to be sure.” She looks at Gem’s lower half. “We may need to be creative in hiding those,” she said, pointing to Gem’s hooves. “We can hide your ears under your hair, and bob your tail and tuck it under your dress. So much preparation to make!”

“Good thing we both know Rarity,” says Gem, smiling faintly. “I don’t know what to do about my fur or my muzzle, but… we’ll roll with it.” She nods. “All I can do now is wait for tomorrow to come.” She rises, putting on her coat and scarf. “Thanks for the talk, Sunset… and the support. I appreciate it.”

Sunset stands and hugs Gem. “Don’t you worry, we’ll help you get through this. Hopefully without any major complications.”

“Hopefully,” Gem agrees. “And, well, if anything does happen… this school has seen weirder. Like a couple of raging she-demons. No offense."

Sunset chuckles. “None taken.”

* * *

The next school day, Gem steps into CHS as a pony for the first time. Much has been done to hide as much of her equine appearance as possible, and make her look passably human. She’s dyed her coat and mane from the blonde tones this form usually had, to her usual grey and brown. Her tail has been bobbed and hidden beneath a long dress, while socks are used to muffle the sound of her hooves on the floor, since human shoes don’t really fit her anymore. There was nothing to be done about her fur, or her muzzle, but it was agreed that as long as no one looked too closely at her, she would be fine. As she steps into school, flanked by Rarity and Sunset, she gulps. “I really hope nothing bad happens… the last thing I need is someone like Trixie deciding I don’t belong, and finding out why.”

“Trixie always knew you didn’t belong, and your ridiculous appearance today proves Trixie’s point nicely!” Trixie stepped out in front of the three, a smirk crossing her face. “So, not happy with your gender, and now not happy with your species, ‘Gemini?’” she snarked. “Trixie thinks perhaps you should transfer to Freakland, where you truly belong!”

Gem stares, agape, at Trixie for several seconds before she can think of a reply. “How did you catch on that quickly?” she eventually asks. “I admire your observation skills.” Realizing Trixie would probably inform half the school of her species change before lunchtime, she decides to get out ahead of the issue and adjusts her hair, allowing her pony ears to be seen.

Trixie snorts, then suddenly sneezes. “It seems Trixie is allergic to certain animal furs, one of which happens to be horse. Trixie figured you would do this to spite Trixie, so Trixie kept a close eye on you…and a certain bus driver for the school. Oh, what a pity it would be for Trixie to reveal the secrets of your little tryst to Principal Celestia … oh, the scandal it would cause!” Trixie started to cackle evilly, only to be cut off when she suddenly sneezed again.

Gem sighs. “Well, I’m terribly sorry to hear about your allergy, Trixie, but there isn’t much I can do about it… and I certainly didn’t do this to spite you. Instead… what can I do to ensure you don’t leak secrets?”

“Ha! There is no way you can simply buy Trixie’s silence!” she declared, and then got a good look at Sunset and Rarity, both looking like they were about ready to make a certain magician disappear. Remembering how Sunset used to be, Trixie cleared her throat. “However, Trixie is in a generous and benevolent mood, and promises to never tell a soul about your little secrets.”

Sunset stepped forward and stood directly in front of Trixie, the two almost touching noses. “Pinkie Promise.”

Trixie sighs, and makes an X across he chest before poking her fist into her eye.

Sunset smiled, a predatory smile all the same. ‘There. I knew we could reach an agreement. Come along Gem, Rarity, we’re gonna be late for class.”

“Coming!” says Gem, after slipping her socks off her hooves, before following after the other two at a canter. “Honestly, if Trixie was going to notice, everyone else would have too,” she says, over the noise of her hooves on tile.

Luckily for Gem, her species change doesn’t seem to have fazed the student body very much, if at all. Perhaps used to seven of their classmates getting pony ears at the drop of a hat, everyone treats Gem as if she were still human, and not a walking, talking bipedal horse. All except Lyra, who spends the morning following Gem around and pointing out excitedly to Bonbon that she’s proof of alien life.

“Gracious, Lyra seems to be acting more abnormal than usual today,” Rarity remarked at lunch to the others, who were sitting with Gem at a far table in the cafeteria.

“Aaaah, no one takes her seriously anyway,” Rainbow Dash said, “they just let her ramble on and says he watched too many sci-fi shows. You know, like that one with the FBI agents investigating alien sightings, or like that one with the guy in the flying telephone booth.”

“Ah still think it’s a tad unnervin’, her followin’ poor Gem around like that all the time. Shucks, poor girl didn’t even get any peace in the restroom,” commented Applejack.

“Good thing we have different lunch shifts,” Gem adds, her ears fully lowered now. “The bad news is, she’s in PE with me…”

“Yeah, but so am I,” Rainbow points out, and lightly punches Gem’s shoulder. “I’ll keep her off ya Gem, don’t worry!”

Gem blushed. “Thank you, Rainbow.” She resumes eating her hay and daisy sandwich. “Sunset, have you heard back from Princess Twilight yet?"

“Only that she’s completely stumped, and she’s going to meet with Princess Celestia about this,” Sunset replied. “But don’t worry, if anyone can figure this problem out, Celestia can—”

“Celestia can what?” came an older voice from behind Sunset. Everyone at the table froze. Standing there was Principal Celestia, an apprehensive look crossing her face. “Miss Shadow, would you come with me? We need to have a talk in my office.”

Since it’s not actually possible for her ears to lower any further than they have, Gem’s tail droops, and she sighs. “Yes ma’am,” is all she says. “So long girls, it was nice knowing you…” She follows Principal Celestia, looking like she was about to be led off to the gallows.

* * *

“Gemini,” Principal Celestia said when they were both sitting down in her office, “I am in receipt of an ‘anonymous tip’ about improper fraternization between student and staff. It also seems our tipster went as far as to name the staff member and student.” She put the letter in front of her so Gem could see it, the stationery decorated with little magical symbols leaving no doubt as to the source. “Now, the only reason the police aren’t sitting here is because, first, you are a legal adult based on your age; and second, I know of your history with Miss Lulamoon. I wanted to hear your side of this before I decided on what actions I should take.”

Gem heaves a deep sigh, sitting on her hands so as to keep them from bunching into fists. In truth, she’d wring Trixie’s neck if she could, but that would get her into more trouble. Instead, she decides to tell Celestia the honest truth. “Ma’am, I shan’t lie, Longhaul and I are in a romantic relationship. We’ve had sex, multiple times, all of them consensual. The reason I’m sitting before you looking like I do is because I am currently pregnant with his child, and due to the extended gestation period for pony fetuses compared to humans, which incidentally is eleven months and not nine, I’ll likely look like this for quite some time, as my usual appearance doesn’t have the necessary equipment needed for childbirth. But I digress.”

She sighs, deflating. “This wasn’t how I wanted my time at CHS to end… the years I’ve spent here have been the happiest of my life. If you’re going to punish anyone, punish me, and then punish Trixie for leaking details of my relationship status even when she expressly made a Pinkie promise not to.” From somewhere in the distance, there’s a booming noise as a girl with pink skin and hair comes roaring down the hall, flame leaping from her blue eyes. Gem continues. “But mainly… punish me.”

Celestia chuckles softly. “Gemini, you really should join our drama club, you’re a natural. Nothing is going to happen to you, and you certainly aren’t being expelled from Canterlot High. You are an adult in every sense of the word, and there’s nothing that warrants any punishment to you from anyone in this school or from the entire board of education, for that matter. As for Longhaul … I may have to impose an administrative punishment on him for violating the no fraternization rule, but that will be minor given his exemplary record of service to us over the years.”

She pauses and smiles. “I will admit, hearing about your…unusual pregnancy was a bit startling, but I do wish you all the best, and if there’s anything I can do to help make your time remaining here more comfortable in line with your condition, please let me know. I can speak to Coach Spitfire about alternate P.E. classes for you if you would like. I’m sure there’s some low-impact, low-stress activities you can do that won’t have any adverse effects. Now, as for Miss Lulamoon…”

A bluish streak flashes by Celestia’s office door, chased by an angry pink blur. “NOBODY BREAKS A PINKIE PROMISE!!!!” roars an unearthly voice.

Celestia turned back to Gem. “Maybe we should let events play out and I can assign punishment then, hmm?”

Gem smiles, relieved. “Yes, I think so,” she says, giving Celestia a hug. “Thank you, ma’am. And yes, I think talking to Coach Spitfire would be a good idea, I don’t fancy the thought of running the mile with a foal in my womb.” After a little longer she leaves the office, and after school that day, informs her friends (and boyfriend) of her good luck.

Longhaul was happy, too. He wasn’t too upset when Celestia announced to him that she was going to have to have him disciplined for the rule violation. His punishment amounted to Luna smacking him on the hand with a ruler and calling him a naughty bus driver, along with making him promise to never break the rules again.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Gem is at Shadowfall working on some algebra homework, when suddenly there’s a knock on the door! “Who is it?” she calls out.

“Gem, it’s Sunset. It’s pretty important, can you let me in? Oh, and can you contact Longhaul and let him know to come straight over here after he finishes his route?” Shuffling could be heard outside the door.

“Texting him now!” Gem answers. Her message went: “Come at once if convenient. If inconvienent, come anyway. -GS” She then opens the door to let Sunset in. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

Sunset was flanked by Princess Twilight in pony form and a majestic white alicorn wearing golden regalia. “More than okay, Gem. May I present Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria and my teacher? Princess Celestia, this is Gemini Shadow, the human I told you about,” Twilight said.

Celestia bowed deeply. “A pleasure to meet you, Gemini. May we come in?”

“Oh, yes! Of course you can!” Gem bows her head to the white alicorn, then moves aside to let everyone in. “Can I get you anything to drink? Tea? Coffee? Water? And, if I may, how have you managed to avoid changing forms?”

Celestia giggled, stepping into the house. “Who do you think created the spell that allowed you to turn into ponies? It’s the same spell, only reversed so we can keep our forms while in your world. We did momentarily take human form while we crossed your school’s campus.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Yeah … if you hear any ‘drunken Celestia’ stories tomorrow, ignore them.”

The door opened and Longhaul ran in. “What’s up, your text sounded urgent…” He spots the two princesses. “Oh crap. How much trouble are we in now?”

“None, I think,” says Gem hopefully, trotting to the kitchen to make everyone tea. Soon she comes back out, carrying a silver tray in her hands with 4 cups and a kettle on it. She carries it into the sitting room and makes herself comfortable, smiling. “So… your majesties… to business then,” she begins. “How can I help you?”

“Twilight has informed me of your situation,” Celestia said, “and while researching, we encountered another problem. Your foal, while protected from the portal magic in your womb, would not have that same protection if you were to take the child through after birth. In short, you two could come and go, but your child would have to stay behind.”

“We know that’s not an optimal situation,” Twilight continued, “and to that end, since you both wanted to come to Equestria anyway, we came up with an alternative plan.”  
“Gemini Shadow, Dusty Hoofer—” Longhaul was stunned to hear his real name spoken by some strange pony he only just met— “I would like to extend the offer for both of you to become the first human citizens of Equestria. Twilight informed me of your alternate forms of Sigma and Lorenzo, and we would be happy to accommodate you in any way possible should you accept our offer.”

Gem gasps, thunderstruck. She turns to Longhaul and takes his hand, and says, “If we go… we won’t be able to come back here. At least, not very often. We’d have to adapt to a whole new world, a whole new way of living… but…” She gestures to her anthro pony self. “It’s better than being an outsider here. What do you think?”

“Sounds tempting…and who knows, they may figure out a way for all of us to cross some day, but…” He turned to Celestia. “Your highness, this is a most generous offer. My only concern is, how would we be able to fend for ourselves? I doubt my skills are transferable to your world, given that there are no motor vehicles anywhere, and I’m nowhere near strong enough to pull a cart or wagon.”

Celestia smiles. “We’ll provide a stipend for all of you to cover basic living expenses, and of course, foal care. Should you desire one, we can also appoint a job coach, who will look over your work history and recommend potential pathways to a career.”

Gem smiles. “That sounds wonderful… I can’t thank you enough, your highness!”

“The pleasure is all mine,” says Celestia happily.

* * *

Months pass. Gem graduates from CHS with her classmates, and Longhaul finalizes his departure from the school district. Then, both of them pack their things, leaving more sensitive items like laptops and smartphones behind (as they wouldn’t work in Equestria, and the portal magic would likely fry them) before crossing over to Equestria, whereupon they take their disguised forms.

After that comes a long period of adjustment. With the stipend, they purchase a small house not far from where their local analogues live, and work on learning all they can about Equestrian culture and traditions. All the while, their foal continues to develop.

Finally, after about half a year of living as ponies in Equestria, Sigma’s water breaks. She’s quickly taken to Ponyville General, and guided through the birthing process. After several hectic hours, the foal is born, and Lorenzo is allowed into the hospital room at last. The foal is an earth pony filly, mostly brown in color with blonde ‘socks’ on all four hooves, a perfect combination of her parents.

Sigma holds the little bundle of joy in her forehooves, nuzzling her. “Hello there, little one,” she whispers. “I’m very glad to meet you.”

“She’s beautiful…much like her mother. What shall we name her?” Lorenzo asked. He tickled the little filly under her chin with his hoof.

Sigma thought this over for a moment. “Terra, perhaps?” she offers. “Since she’s an earth pony, as we are, and we’re originally from Earth?”

“Terra … that’s a good name.” He smiled at the little filly. “Hello Terra… it’s your daddy.” He smiled, tears forming in his eyes. “I’ll get a journal message to Sunset, I know she’ll want to visit. I’ll see Twilight tomorrow.”

Terra babbles happily, waving her little forehooves around. Sigma smiles, nuzzling the filly’s cheek. “One day, we’ll take you to see where we grew up… but for now, I think it best to raise you as a pony.”

Lorenzo nods in agreement. “You know Pinkie’s gonna want to throw us a ‘Welcome New Filly and Hooray To The Parents’ party…”

“Both of them,” Sigma agrees, laughing. Soon, after a few checkups to make sure that both she and Terra are okay, they’re discharged, and are allowed to go home.


	30. What's Bugging Longhaul?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the events in "Resurgence of the Changelings" and "The Return of Queen Chrysalis," Onyx travels to Earth to exact revenge on Gem.

King Onyx was furious. Admittedly, being furious was his default state of existence. Word had been around the Hive that where Chrysalis had run on spite, her son, Onyx, ran on pure fury. Nearly all of it was directed at that accursed unicorn Orion Shadow, though as of late, he’d picked a new target for his ire: Orion’s mysterious counterpart, Gemini Shadow.

Onyx didn’t know very much about Gemini, beyond the fact that she wasn’t a pony, (instead some weird hairless ape creature called a human) but she could still wield magic like a unicorn. She’d briefly been one of his drones, but some friends of hers from some weird future where everyone wore space pajamas meant that plan had to be thrown out.

Still, it was thanks to Gem that Onyx was, for the first time in his life, hive-less. The rest of his drones were back in the Badlands, being ruled over by that simpleton his mother had once used as her court scribe, a drone by the name of Steno Pad. He’d been softened by his years living among ponies, and was responsible for changing his race into a bunch of psychedelic monstrosities that had none of the fiendish characteristics they’d been born with. They looked cute. Changelings weren’t supposed to look cute. They were supposed to be evil, love-sucking monsters who consumed the love of ponies, then ate the husks.

Onyx had fled, and remained untransformed. He’d escaped to a place called Klugetown, where he posed as a warthog named Verko, planning his revenge. He knew from some of his former drones that Princess Twilight kept a magic mirror in her castle library, though he had no idea where it might lead. He’d intended to find out after the takeover of Equestria was complete, but everything that had happened had set things back. After the Storm King debacle, he knew he had even less of a chance at gaining access to this mirror.

Unless… Onyx snapped his claws (for he was still in his warthog form at the moment) and grinned malevolently. “I’ve got it,” he hissed, morphing into his natural form. He spread his wings and flew off, going as quickly as his insect wings would allow him to.  
***  
Onyx flew through Ponyville’s empty streets, grateful for the cover that nighttime provided for him. He’d spent at least two days flying non-stop from Klugetown to Ponyville, burning through a lot of love energy in the process. His plan was simple: sneak into the princess’ eyesore of a castle, enter the library, and walk through the mirror.

When he arrived at the castle, Onyx flew through the open window of the library and landed, tucking his wings in. Before him stood the mirror itself: it had a purple frame, which was vaguely horseshoe shaped, and of course a large pane of enchanted glass. Set into the top was a thick book, whose purpose Onyx could not guess, but it hardly mattered. He put his hoof through the glass, and was pleased to see it rippled like water. Satisfied, he stepped through, and was immediately awash in a swirl of colors…  
***  
Longhaul was very grateful to see the end of the school day. Though he deeply enjoyed working with CHS’ students as their bus driver and unofficial guidance counselor, the events of the last few months had shown that he was approaching retirement. It was just as well, given the eight girls he’d formed a particularly special bond with would be graduating this year. After this school year, he thought to himself, I’m going to Appleoosa.

As he drove home from the district bus station however, his warm brown eyes sweeping around to look for other motorists, he caught a glimpse of a child lying on the sidewalk, clutching their leg in obvious pain. Longhaul pulled over and climbed out of the car, long-buried skills as an EMT coming back to the fore. The child was male, probably 10, with short blue-green hair and dark grey skin that looked about black in the dim light of sunset.

Longhaul improvised a splint from the first-aid kit he kept in his car, then picked the boy up, laying him in the back seat of his car. Since the hospital was close by, he figured it would be faster to drive him there himself rather than wait for an ambulance. However, as he climbed into the driver’s seat to start the car, there came a swishing noise from the back seat, and he felt sharp fangs pierce his neck… the last thing he saw as he blacked out was the reflection of the boy, now with a curved horn and insect wings, grinning hungrily at him…  
***  
48 hours later, about a dozen humans (including Longhaul) floated in green cocoons, which hung suspended from the ceiling of a cave within the grounds of Camp Everfree. To Onyx’s surprise, this world wasn’t as magic-less as he’d initially believed, it now seemed low-level magic permeated the entire town, stretching all the way to this camp. As such, he could still gather love and shape shift, as well as make transformation cocoons. Since humans were so much larger than ponies, it would take longer to transform them even into the human-changeling hybrid form Gem had been.

He walked over to the cocoon that Longhaul was held in and chuckled. The man’s skin had darkened considerably, and was starting to harden into chitin. Soon, holes would form in his arms and legs, and hooves would take the place of feet, while his hands would become claws. Insect wings had already begun to sprout from his back, as had a curved, pointed horn.

“I hope you enjoy your new gifts, humans,” Onyx purrs, turning away and changing into Longhaul’s usual shape. “You’ll all be completely under my control when you awake. I’ll be back soon… for now, I have a few more victims to round up.” He departs.  
***  
“So, let me get this straight,” said Aria Blaze, looking over at Gem. The eight girls were gathered around their usual table at CHS, talking about some very strange things Gem had seen in the past two days. “You saw Longhaul’s school bus driving down the street last night, lit by a green light?”

Gem nodded. “And Longhaul was at the wheel. At least, I think it was him… he had an odd expression on his face, as if he was contemplating doing something terrible.”

“That’s not like Longhaul at all!” Sonata observed, looking up from her taco. “He’s the nicest guy in the whole city!”

“Maybe it isn’t really him,” Sunset added. “I mean, we did just get done fighting changelings back in Equestria. Maybe one of them came through the portal and is pretending to be Longhaul.”

“That does explain why he’s been acting so strange around me lately,” Gem mused, putting her pale grey fingers to her chin in thought. “I mean, he acts perfectly nice in the morning bus ride, but sometimes I’ll catch his reflection in the rearview mirror, and he looks positively disgusted…”

“Then it’s definitely ain’t him,” Raven put in. “We need to investigate. Aria, how about you, me, and Sunny tail him after school? We can use Sunny’s car and everything.”

Aria and Sunset both nodded. “Sounds good to me,” Aria replied.

“Meet me by the parking lot after school,” said Sunset. “And Gem, you take the bus with Twilight and Emerald. Since they take the city bus, it’ll be safer than getting on Longhaul’s bus. Adagio and Sonata, you two hang tight at our house. If anything bad happens, we’ll send a signal. Is everyone clear?” Everyone nodded, and when the bell rang, they went off to their respective classes.  
***  
It was late in the afternoon as the last student exited Longhaul’s bus. Following at a discrete distance, Sunset, Raven, and Aria watched carefully. Aria sighed in frustration and boredom. “Nothing. Everything seemed perfectly normal, first stop to last. You all sure Gem wasn’t having some kind of medication-induced hallucination or something?”

“Her meds don’t do that to her,” Raven replied. “They do make her more jumpy than usual, but not paranoid or hallucinating.”

The bus pulled away, and the student ran up to the car once the bus was out of sight. “Hey…you girls hang around with Gemini, right?” he asked.

“That’s right,” Sunset answered. “Is there some kind of problem?”

“I don’t know,” the boy said, concerned. “Mister Longhaul has been acting strange lately, and today, when she didn’t get on the bus, we all thought he was gonna flip out. He kept muttering about ‘accelerating the plan,’ whatever that means, and he seemed angrier than usual. Heck, the fact he was angry at all isn’t normal..he was like a big ball of rage just trying to hold it in but about to explode.”

“Thanks for telling us,” Raven said reassuringly. “Is there anything else that seems weird that you’ve noticed?”

“Yeah, come to think about it…every day, he’d been looking us all over, and every now and then he’ll look at one of us and smile. The next day, those kids weren’t on the bus, and no one else had seen them.”

The three girls exchanged worried glances.

Aria sighed. “Well… thanks, kid. Keep an eye on him for us, and if he does anything freaky…” She took out a piece of paper and scribbled down her phone number, which she handed to the boy. “Call that number and we’ll come help.” The boy nods, and runs off.

“Accelerating the plan…” Sunset comments. “Any idea what that could mean?”

“Probably that Longhaul’s gonna snap in a few days, lose control,” Raven adds. “I saw this kinda thing all the time back in Manehattan, with gang fights. They’d kidnap people from other gangs, hold ‘em for ransom sometimes… no one touched my gang though, they were too afraid.”

“Afraid of what?” Sunset asks.

Raven cracks her knuckles. “My retribution.”  
***  
“One thing is for sure,” says Gem, as she rides the city bus to the other end of Canterlot, “We have to alert Celestia and Luna. Especially Luna.”

Emerald nodded. “Absolutely, you know Luna’ll flip if someone gets in the way of her bus driver.” She looked over at Twilight, who was furiously scribbling into a notebook. “Oh boy, Sparks has her thinking face on again… what’s on your mind, Sparks?”

“I just keep thinking,” Twilight says quietly. “There have been more and more absences in the last couple of weeks, and all of them have been on Longhaul’s route. And changelings, as we know, can look like anyone. So, Gem, you’re right: not only has there been a changeling among us, he’s been disguising himself as Longhaul and abducting kids. But for what purpose? And where do they end up?”

Gem is hit by a realization. “I don’t know, but I do know someone who might… we need to get in touch with Chrysalis.”

“Waitaminute,” Emerald said. “You’re proposing we get in touch with the evil changeling queen to fight an evil changeling? Am I the only one that sees how this could go horribly wrong?”

“But, she’s been reformed. She’s not the evil one we knew,” Twilight replied. “The big question is, would she even want to help us? Worse yet, was her reformation all a ruse, and is this a way of having her gain a foothold in this world to try to recapture Equestria?”

“She wouldn’t want Equestria,” says Gem at once. “Remember, she died there, then was reincarnated as a human because she struck a deal with Princess Luna. She couldn’t cross over even if she wanted to, which she wouldn’t, because she’s much happier as a human. I mean, a human who can still transform and fly because our magic spread to her, but I digress. I know she’d want to help us. After all… we’re why she’s living in Las Pegasus now, working as a counselor, instead of rotting in Tartarus for her crimes against equinity.”

Twilight sighed. “I don’t see any other options, and time’s running out. Better give her a call, Gem.”

Gem nods, and with a few taps of her screen, she’s connected. “Hello? Chrysalis? It’s me, Gemini Shadow… we need your help. A changeling has escaped into our world from Equestria, and he’s disguising himself as our bus driver… we don’t know what he’s got planned, but I doubt it’s good. How soon can you get to Canterlot?"

“Yeah, that is bad news. I’ll grab the first flight out and I should be there by morning. Any ideas where this changeling is establishing a base? They’re gonna need a place to stash their captives, possibly somewhere with magic so they can feed and regenerate. Find that out and I’ll see you when I get to Canterlot,” Chrysalis said.

“Will do,” Gem replies. “See you tomorrow.” She ends the call, then looks to the other two. “Alright girls, let’s get to work!”  
***  
After a long night of researching, it was eventually determined that the captives were being held in the Everfree caves, where the amulets had been found. But the girls couldn’t go storming in, since their quarry was dangerous. Instead, they had to take their time.

CHS had started to feel more like a prison than a sanctuary. Everywhere Gem went, she was given long looks by entirely random students, all of whom had the same blank, brainwashed look in their eyes. Raven, Emerald, and Sunset each took turns guarding her throughout the schoolday, in case anyone tried to attack her, though no one did.

At the end of the day, Gem approaches Vice Principal Luna’s office and knocks on the door. “Miss Luna? It’s Gem… may I speak to you for a little bit, please? I won’t take long!”

“Come in, Gem,” Luna said. “Please, have a seat,” she said when Gem entered. “I sense there may be more trouble afoot. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”  
Gem nods. “Yes ma’am,” she says. “The girls and I have determined that a shapeshifter from Equestria is impersonating Longhaul and stealing students in an attempt to… well, get to me, for some reason. We’ve recruited a former changeling queen to help us, and I was wondering if you and Principal Celestia would like to lend a hand too.”

Luna pales a bit at hearing this. “Is that what happened to Longhaul? I had noticed he wasn’t his usual, cheerful self lately. I — I thought I was seeing things when I noticed his eyes would flash green every so often while I was speaking to him.” She nods. “You have my assistance, Gemini. I am sure my sister will be glad to offer hers as well, I shall speak to her as soon as we are finished here. Is there anything else we can do to assist you?”

Gem shakes her head. “Just be ready for anything. Oh, and in case anything should happen, the safe phrase is Go Wondercolts. If someone acts like they don’t know it, it’s fake.” She makes her departure, heading down the hall and outside.  
***  
Minutes later, Gem arrives at Shadowfall and hurries into the sitting room, where the rest of the girls, plus Chrysalis, are waiting. “The principals are on board,” she reports. “Do you all have anything to share?”

“I’ve spoken to Twilight, “Sunset said, tapping her book, “and she hasn’t noticed any unusual activity from the changelings there. In fact, Steno pad is doing a great job helping the reformed changelings integrate into Equestrian society. She’s also spoken to the other princesses, and they report their guards haven’t been able to detect any activity from King Onyx…in fact, they can’t seem to find him at all.”

“This is bad,” Chrysalis says, a worried tone in her voice. “And I regret having to say it’s because of how I raised him. Ever since he was a tiny grub, I implanted into him a hatred of the pony race, led him to think of ponies as nothing more than a food source to be used and discarded…and if they refused to comply with our demands, to be killed.” She dropped her head. “I don’t know if he can be reformed, or if there is anything I can do to stop him, but I will try. It pains me to have t turn on my own son, but it’s for the greater good of both worlds that he be stopped.”

Gem hugs Chrysalis tight, nodding. “And we’ll be there to help you,” she promises. “You’re our friend, and friends never give up on each other.” As she speaks, she ponies up, and soon the other girls do too. “Alright… we have to go, but we also can’t let him know we’re coming… suggestions, anyone?”

Twilight raises her hand. “We disguise ourselves using changeling magic, and pretend to be ordinary campers,” she suggests.

Chrysalis shakes her head. “That won’t work, we can always see through the disguises of another changeling… he’ll know who you really are in an instant.”

“Why can’t we just go in and kick his… uh… rear?” Raven interrupted. “There are more of us than there are of him! How hard can it be?”

“You’re forgetting that he likely has an army of transformed humans at his disposal,” Adagio points out. “Our best bet is to wait until nightfall. That will give us more time to plan.” The others nod, and get to work.  
***  
Meanwhile, Onyx steps into his cave and frees the captured humans one by one. They’re all humanoid changelings now, subservient to his will. He steps up to the one who had once been called Longhaul and holds up a picture of Gem. “Who is this?” he asks, in a series of hisses and chitters that bore no resemblance to any human tongue.

A tear rolls down his cheek as he recognizes Gem’s picture, and a tiny fraction of his brain screams out inside his head as he replies in the same insectoid language, “Our mortal enemy, my lord and master.” He hesitates before saying, “She is the offspring of the murderer of our queen, and she must die.”

“Excellent.” Onyx smiles, baring his fangs. “Since you are so close to her, I will give you the honor of capturing her, and bringing her to our lair. I will kill her myself, and once she is dead? We will feast upon those she calls her friends, then force them to join the swarm. The school will become our breeding grounds, and when our army is large enough, we shall return to Equestria and take what is rightfully ours.” He steps away. “Now go!”

He buzzes his wings in salute and bows before making his way out of the cave. He knew where he had to go, and despite the one small fragment of humanity urging him not to follow through, his body made its way to the bus parked nearby. Getting in and starting it, he made his way to Gem’s house.

The girls are continuing to plan when Chrysalis looks up, her body tensing. “Someone is coming,” she says suddenly, her expression grim. “No… someling.”

“How can you tell?” Emerald asks.

“Changeling instincts,” Chrysalis answers. “I don’t think it’s Onyx though… it doesn’t feel like him.” The rumble of the approaching bus grows louder and louder as it sweeps through the entrance gates and up the driveway to the front steps. Then the engine dies, and all is silent.

Raven peers out the window. “You have GOT to be kidding me!” she exclaims, pointing. “Looks like the fight has come to us, girls!” She grabs a metal baseball bat from somewhere. “Follow my lead!” She throws open the front doors and marches out, carrying the bat. “HERE, BUGGY BUGGY BUGGY! AUNTIE RAVEN’S GONNA BASH YOU INTO NEXT WEEK!” she yells.

The bus doors open, and Longhaul steps from the bus, eyes glowing blue and damp with tears. “Ah, Raven,” he hears himself say, “so loyal and so brave. You will make a good drone in the army of King Onyx.” A blast of magic erupts from his hands, sending the bat flying away. “But that will come later. It is the murderer-spawn he wants. Surrender Gemini to me and I promise she will be treated well until her ultimate demise.” His body stood rock-stiff and his voice never wavered, but tears continued to flow freely from his eyes.

“I ain’t surrenderin’ shit!” Raven snarls. “Longhaul, I’m really sorry about this, but trust me, it’s for your own good!” She grabs her amulet, and black bird’s wings sprout from her back, and her strength increases to three times its usual amount. Then, doing a startlingly accurate impression of a cawing falcon, she leaps on the bus driver, punching every part of him she can reach.

Infused with changeling magic, Longhaul’s strength was increased as well. He parried most of Raven’s blows, even landing a few of this own. The two grappled in the driveway, fists and feet flying every which way. “WHY DO YOU GIRLS HAVE TO MAKE EVERYTHING SO DAMN DIFFICULT?!” he roared, flinging Raven from him and into the bushes near the building. “This will go so much easier if you don’t resist me! I don’t want to…don’t…no, I can’t…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHH!” he cries out, clutching at his head. His eyes burned a brilliant blue, and he moved with more determination toward the house.

“Oh, you want a fight, do you?” asks a posh, Trottingham-accented voice. “Come and get one!” The front doors glow a bright acid green as they’re opened. Gem is in the entrance hall, flanked by the other six girls, though Chrysalis is nowhere to be found. The seven girls surround Longhaul, wearing identical angry expressions.

Gem smirks. “You’ve bested one of us, but can you handle seven girls at once?” she asks, baring her teeth. They looked a little sharper than normal. Then she hisses, a noise that should not come from a human mouth, and the seven attack Longhaul, punching and kicking and, in Emerald’s case, biting.

It was a token resistance, at best, that Longhaul put up. His human self was fighting back against his changeling mind, not wanting to hurt any of his friends, much less surrender Gem to that…that..that thing back at the cave. Although he didn’t consciously recognize it, his changeling mind felt the magic and immediately went submissive. Eventually he stopped fighting altogether, surrendering to the assault being foisted upon him, and lay in the driveway, unmoving.

Chrysalis releases her hold on Gem’s form, and checks for a pulse. “It’s alright, girls,” she says. “He’s still alive. However…” Longhaul’s body is covered in green fire, as he automatically shifts back into his changeling form.

Raven struggles out of the bushes, looking disgusted. “They changed him into one of those monsters?! How dare they?! No offense.”

“None taken,” replies Chrysalis. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to restore him to his normal form, but in case we can’t, I know a spell that would freeze him in human form and block his changeling abilities… in my past life I used to use it as punishment.” She stands up. “We’ll keep him here… Gem can look after him.” Raven and Chrysalis hoist Longhaul inside and place him on the sitting room couch.

Gem sits beside him, holding one of Longhaul’s chitinous hands in her own flesh one. “I’m so sorry, old friend…” she whispers, stroking his chitin fondly. “The girls will take care of this… we always do.”

Chrysalis, meanwhile, shifts back into Gem’s form, and the girls drive Longhaul’s bus back toward the caves.  
***  
“Well, well, well…what have we here? All of the sheep coming to the slaughter?” Onyx asked as the girls plus ‘Gem’ stepped from the bus, tapping his perforated hooves together. “And what of the big, dumb one, Longhaul was it? No matter, I have plenty more where he came from.” Emitting a high-pitched chittering noise, Onyx was soon flanked by the forms of the changed high school students. “Enough with the pleasantries, let’s just get this over with, shall we?”

“Let’s!” says ‘Gem’, and the 8 leap into action, 7 of them gripping their necklaces and using their various powers to rain hell on the small swarm. ‘Gem’ meanwhile focuses all her attention on Onyx, putting everything she’s got into making him submit.

Onyx blasted back with his own magic, and he and ‘Gem’ locked in combat as the other drones were summarily defeated. “Wait…I recognize that magic…I haven’t felt it since…” His eyes widened. “No! How can this be? I—I saw you die! What trickery is this?!”

Chrysalis changes back into her normal form, looking furious. “I made a deal with Luna, and was reborn in this world, as a human. You have caused much suffering to the people of this world, and the ponies of Equestria. And for what? Revenge against those who killed me?” She shakes her head. “That’s not our way anymore, Onyx. And the only thing to do is punish you.” Her horn and both hands start to glow.

“It was always our way!” Onyx spat. “You taught me that! Crush those that oppose you, avenge the loss of those you love, all part of the teachings you imparted to me when I was young! And now you tell me to throw it all away? I would rather—” He feels Chrysalis’s glow envelop him. “What—what’s going on? What are you doing, Mother?”

“Giving you a second chance,” Chrysalis whispers. “Just like someone else once did for me.” Green flames erupt around Onyx’s body, and when they pass, he is a young human, a baby in fact. Then there’s a whooshing noise, and green magic is taken from him, then, Chrysalis herself, who reverts to human form. She picks up the baby Onyx (who shares her dark skintone and blue-green hair) and holds him close, smiling. “It’s over,” she says simply. “We’re now both human.”  
***

Meanwhile, Gem is back at Shadowfall, sitting next to Vice Principal Luna while both of them tend to Longhaul. “Oh look…” Gem says quietly. “He’s waking up!”

Moaning in pain, Longhaul tried to open his eyes, his arms flailing around. “No, don’t…wha…what happened?”

“It’s alright…” says Luna softly, and both women hug him. “Ms. Shadow says you were transformed and brainwashed, and tried to bring her to your master. But you were knocked out, and here you are.”

“I’m just glad you’re in one piece,” says Gem, kissing Longhaul’s cheek. “You may be a bug, but you’re still our Longhaul.”

“I’m…I’m a WHAT??” Longhaul sat bolt upright and looked at himself as best he could. He could see the black chitin covering his body. “Oh no, it wasn’t a dream. I really got turned into one of these…things and I came here to…oh no…” He collapsed in tears.

Luna looks at Gem, worried. “What can we do?” she asks. “There must be some way to help him!”

“Changelings feed on love,” Gem says. “So, maybe, if he feeds on us… he’ll turn back into himself!” She holds Longhaul’s hand again. “Longhaul, focus on the love Luna and I have for you… follow your instincts. You can do it!”

He sat up, and dried his eyes. “I’ll try…” he closed his eye again, and reached out with his new changeling sense. He could feel love radiating off of Gem and Luna, one being stronger than the other somehow. Not paying any mind to that, he let the love encompass him and surround him, feeling a sense of comfort and warmth.

The magic works just as Gem hoped it would: his chitin softens and lightens, becoming skin, while his hooves become feet, and his wings crumble away altogether. Soon, Longhaul is fully human again. Gem and Luna cheer and help him up, and at that moment, there’s a honking noise from outside. Gem grins. “I believe our friends have arrived!” The 3 go out to meet them.

Sonata runs up to Longhaul and launches herself at him, beaming. “You’re you again!” she cheers.

He hugs Sonata sand nods. “Yup, it’s really me again,” he says, giving Sonata a quick peck on the cheek. He lets her go and looks at the others, his gaze stopping at Raven. A horrible memory comes over him. “Oh, Raven…I am so sorry…” he says apologetically. “I wasn’t myself, you know…”

Raven grins. “Don’t sweat it, big guy. I’m just glad you’re not a bug anymore.”

Chrysalis steps off the bus, still clutching baby Onyx. “I’d love to stay and chat,” she says, “But we really have to get going… those Onyx changed should be back to normal in a few days.”

“Thank you so much,” says Gem happily, patting Chrysalis’ hand. “We couldn’t have done it without you!”

Chrysalis smiles. “Only because you showed me the way, Gem. See you.” She climbs into her car and departs.  
***  
The next morning, Gem steps happily onto Longhaul’s bus, and takes her usual seat. “Am I glad to see you!” she says, clapping her hands. “Feeling better, I hope?"

“Physically, I feel fine,” he said, smiling at Gem. “I still have the occasional nightmare about what happened, though.” He closes the bus doors and heads toward the school. “Some of the students don’t really believe it’s me, either, and I can’t blame them.”

“They’ll come around,” Gem says confidently. “The magic of friendship has a way of doing that.”

When they arrive at school, Luna is waiting for him in his office with a box of Bavarian creme donuts on the desk. “About time you showed up,” she says, grinning. “Want to split these with me?”

“You’re actually gonna share?” Longhaul asked, a smirk on his face. “Wow, I must have been messed up.” He sat down across from her and grabbed one of the tasty treats. “Luna…thank you for being there that night. I might still be an insect if not for that.”

Luna places a kiss on his cheek, leaving behind a powdered mark. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat, my dear one,” she purrs, and the scene slowly fades to black.


	31. Origin of the Dazzlings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adagio tells Gem the story of how she and her sisters were banished from Equestria.

It was late spring, and the Dazzlings were still working on becoming friends with the girls who had freed them from the clutches of darkness: Gemini Shadow, Raven Sable, and Sunset Shimmer. One afternoon, after the girls returned from Manehattan, (where Raven had been a prisoner of the evil hypnotist, Doctor Mysterio, before switching sides and becoming a siren herself) Gem asked Adagio over to her house for a chat.

"You know, Gem, even though we've been close for a few months now, and I know you don't mean anything by it, it's hard not to feel like you're a queen, and I, a subject who has been granted audience with you," Adagio observed as she walked through Shadowfall's front doors to the sitting room.

Gem chuckled. "You're right, I suppose there's something _somewhat_ royal in how I conduct myself sometimes... but as you say, it's unintentional. I know and trust you, especially after how hard you worked to bring Raven and I back together during the whole Mysterio thing, but there's a few things about you that I still want to know."

Adagio nodded, and smiled enigmatically as Gem poured both of them some tea. "Ask away then, dear girl. A siren does not relinquish her secrets easily, but for you, I'll make an exception."

"Well, let's see..." Gem took a sip of her tea. "I know it's not polite to ask a lady her age, but... just how old are you, Adagio?"

The yellow girl chuckled. "Well, the last time you asked me that, I said my sisters and I arrived here during the time of the ancient Greeks, during the time of the Iliad. That was about 3000 years ago."

"I'm sensing a but coming," Gem observed.

Adagio nodded. "But, we were around long before even that, when we still lived in Equestria. Add another thousand years, and that would make us... about four thousand years old, give or take a century or two. Functionally, however... we are ageless."

"So, that little visit of mine to the Victorian era..." Gem began. "That was just a blink of an eye for you?"

"Correct," said Adagio. "When you have experienced more time than either the pony or the human mind can comprehend, little events like the cholera outbreak of 163 years ago is to us what last Tuesday is to you."

"Then, with all that history behind you, how did you come to Canterlot High?" Gem asked.

Adagio smiled a little. "That requires a little explanation..."

* * *

My sisters and I had spent almost all of our lives underwater. From the time we hatched to the day we first began to explore the surface world, we swam, becoming some of the best predators the world that early Equestria had ever seen.

One fateful day, the three of us grew tired of our lives under the sea. Using the hypnotizing singing powers granted to us by the gemstones we wore, we managed to take over the oceans surrounding the mainland, but it wasn’t enough. I knew of Equestria from the stories the merchants and sailor ponies told, and hatched a plan to take over the surface world as quickly as I could.

Late one night, we put our plan into action. We swam up to the surface, intending to fly toward the nearest town, when we were stopped in our tracks by a grey furred unicorn stallion with a blue-green mane and tail. His name was Stygian, and he was a singularly unimpressive pony when we first met him.

“Excuse me, sir, we’re lost. Do you think you could help us?” I said, trying to take advantage of the situation at hoof. Being a leader means having to improvise quickly, as you know.

Stygian’s jaw dropped as he looked at us. “What… what are you?” he asked.

I smiled, showing my sharp teeth as I did so. “Us? My name’s Adagio. This is Sonata and Aria. We’re the Dazzlings.” I felt a wave come up and hit the rock we were perched on, sending cold water onto our scales.

“Dazzlings? What’s a Dazzling?” Stygian asked. I flew off the rock and floated in front of him, resting my chin on my hooves. “‘What’s a Dazzling?’ He says! See, girls, he hasn’t even _heard_ of us!”

“What a shame,” commented Aria from behind me.

“Well, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” agreed Sonata. I know it might be hard to believe now, but Sonata wasn’t quite as… flighty back then. I think turning human must have messed with her mind.

Anyway, I nodded and said, “My sister raises a good point! We three are sirens.”

He gasped. “Sirens? Amazing! I can’t believe I’m actually meeting sirens!”

I chuckled. “Look at you, it’s cute how confused you ponies can get. I need you to pay attention now, okay? Where we come from, the Dazzlings are the most _beloved_ singers. _Everybody_ has heard of us.”

“Really? That’s incredible!” said Styrgian.

I nodded. “Yes, it is. But we want to _expand_. We want to share our magic with the surface world! We were looking for a special town for our first performance. You don’t happen to know of a town nearby that would want to host our first concert, do you?”

Stygian gulped. “Well, I don’t really think my town would…”

“Why _not?!_ ” I hissed, bearing down on him with my fangs bared. “Your little podunk coastal pony town would be _blessed_ to power us! You should be _begging_ for us to sing for you, you mewling quim!”

Aria tapped me on the shoulder with her hoof. “Sister,” she said gently.

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, calming myself. “I’m so sorry, I get passionate about these things… true artists have tempers, you know?”

Stygian did not look fooled. In fact, he now had that same slightly suspicious look you get when someone says something strange. “What did you mean, ‘power us’?” he asked.

I chuckled again. “I’m sorry, you must have misheard me! I didn’t say that, did I girls?”

Aria shook her head. “Not that I heard.”

“He must be confused!” added Sonata.

I turned back to Stygian. “You’ll go find us a crowd for our concert, won’t you new friend? It needs to be everypony in your town, got it? _Everypony_.”

“I… don’t know,” said Stygian haltingly. “I need to go! I have… uh… responsibilities!” He galloped away, and ignored my attempts to call him back.

That wasn’t the last time I saw him, of course. He came back a few days later, when the three of us were busy performing our concert. Our songs weren’t like the pop tunes we sang during the Battle, they were more… operatic. The effect was the same though; green mist coursed throughout the village, causing everypony who heard us to start getting into fights.

The negative energy they made fed us, and we fed for many moons while Stygian ran away. We thought we’d seen the last of him, but one night, he returned, with Starswirl and five other ponies alongside him, the so-called Pillars of Equestria: Rockhoof, Mistmane, Somnambula, Meadowbrook, and Flash Magnus.

The six Pillars faced us down, while we three glared at them, surrounded by lightning. Our gems and eyes glowed bright red as our power flowed through us. I heard Starswirl say, “Let us show these foul creatures what we can do!”

“Foul creatures?!” I exclaimed. “Shall we show them who we’re up against, sisters?!”

“Let’s do it, Dagi!” Sonata shouted.

“I wanna give the command!” said Aria. “Get ‘em, ponies!” And it worked. The ponies of Stygian’s village moved toward the Pillars, utterly hypnotized by our musical spells.

But it was not to last. Flash Magnus flew past us, and taunted, “Is that the best you can do?!”

“Get him! Get the fast one!” ordered Aria, pointing her hoof at him. Unfortunately, he turned out to be a mere distraction, as Meadowbrook unleashed a sleeping draught that put our brainwashed herd to rest. Starswirl’s horn lit, and a portal was made. We were sucked through, and the last memories I have of Equestria are of Sonata and Aria’s frightened faces. We held hooves, afraid of what might lay on the other side. And then everything went black.

* * *

“What was it like to come through the other side?” Gem inquired.

“Like nothing we’d ever experienced,” Adagio replied. “So strange was it that when we came to on the other side, all three of us were shocked and horrified at what we had become…”

* * *

“Where… where _are_ we?!” said the pink ape that I could only guess was Aria.

“What happened to my hooves?!” asked the blue ape, staring at her… I wasn’t sure _what_ these were called. Fleshy griffon talons, I supposed.

“Curse that old fool!” I growled. “He’s trapped us in another world!” All three of us wore [togas](http://animechristy.deviantart.com/art/Dazzle-me-with-your-Siren-Song-627615483) that matched our skin colors, with our gemstones around our necks.

“I.. I can’t feel my magic!” Aria exclaimed. “This is a world _without_ magic!”

“Not _entirely_ without,” I pointed out. “There’s still a whisper of magic left in our pendants! Enough for us to keep singing, and gather the energy of chaos… and maybe, one day, to go back home.”

* * *

“From there, we spent the intervening centuries honing our craft, learning more about the strange world we’d found ourselves in. We moved from place to place, never staying in one spot for very long,” Adagio said. “It was dangerous work. You humans are made of sterner stuff than ponies, and proved harder to manipulate, at least at first. During the Salem Witch Trials, we only avoided getting caught because we escaped town before they could catch us.” 

She sipped her tea. “We had a hand in most major conflicts, though not all of them… we stayed out of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, for example, though we did support the colonists and the Union. We also stayed out of both World Wars, _especially_ the second one…” She shivered. “We were caught in Germany in 1943, and barely managed to escape to the UK. We knew about the Holocaust, and did our best to sabotage it… we even helped liberate the camps at the war’s conclusion.”

Then, she smiled again. “After that, we went back to performing, and… well, you know the rest, dear girl.” She smiled at Gem and took her hand. “Thank you for listening… it’s been a _long_ time since I’ve told this story. I’m glad to get it off my chest.”

“You’re welcome, Adagio,” said Gem happily, embracing her friend. “What’s your plan now? Do you still want to go back to Equestria?”

Adagio shook her head. “No… we’ve lived here for so long, Earth is more of a home to us than Equestria could be. We’ll always miss it, but it would never be the same if we were to go back.” She looked at the empty space where her pendant used to rest. “Thanks to Longhaul, we can sing again, but we’re no longer immortal. We’ll age, as humans do. And to be honest?” She smiled slightly. “I’m looking forward to growing older. Being a teenager for so many centuries has long since worn out its welcome… I’m ready to grow old, maybe have children… and eventually, pass on.” She stretched. “Did you have anything else to ask?”

Gem shook her head. “Nothing else, except this: want to go get a snack with me?”

Adagio grinned. “Absolutely.” The two girls held hands and left the house.


	32. Sunset Gets an iPod

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When her walkman breaks, Sunset approaches Vinyl for help.

As the final bell signaled the end of another school day at Canterlot High, Sunset Shimmer strolled out of her seventh-hour keyboarding class, (which she took to help improve her manual dexterity) went to her locker, and took [out](http://bit.ly/2ovknHF) a blue and white CD player with 3 dots on the side. Then she took out an Aerosmith CD and put it in, pressing the play button. Nothing happened, save for a long, sustained beep as the little LCD display read, “Disc error.”

“Argh!” Sunset slammed the door closed and growled. “What do you mean, disc error?! That CD is brand new!” She tried again, and the same thing happened, over and over, until eventually the player wouldn’t turn on altogether.

Sunset sighed, and tossed the broken player into her backpack, closing her eyes in annoyance. “Stupid thing…”

“Something wrong, Sunny?” asked a passing Vinyl Scratch, removing her earbuds from her ears.

Sunset nodded. “My stupid CD player won’t actually play any CDs.”

“Let me try,” said Vinyl, reaching into her own backpack for a CD wallet. She took out a disc at random and put it into the tray, closed the door, and hit play. Sure enough, nothing happened. Vinyl frowned. “Yeah, looks pretty broken to me… how long have you had it for?”

“Since I first moved here,” Sunset said. “I bought it for cheap at a garage sale. Know anywhere I could get a replacement?”

Vinyl shook her head. “Even if I did, it wouldn’t help. Traditional CD players like yours have been on the decline ever since [this](http://bit.ly/2ouRHyt) came out.” She held up a small white rectangle with a 2-inch screen and a circular control pad.

“I see.” Sunset peered at it. “How much did it cost you?”

Vinyl blanched, though it wasn’t that noticeable given her light skin tone. “About $300,” she eventually replied. “The music store pays well though, so it didn’t take too long to save up.”

Sunset sighed. “I wish I could be as lucky as you… the sushi place I work at only pays me minimum wage. If I save, I could have it just in time for after graduation.”

“ _There_ you are, Sunset!” said a posh voice from behind Vinyl. Gem was walking along, smiling. “I was wondering where you’d got to! Is everything alright?”

Sunset shrugged. “Not really. My CD player just died on me.”

Gem frowned out of concern, “Oh no, that’s terrible! We shall have to fetch you a replacement device as soon as possible!” She thought for a moment. “Perhaps something like what Vinyl has?”

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Gem, you don’t have to do that! That’s a $300 music player! I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking you to buy that for me!”

Gem placed a slim grey finger against her friend’s lips and smiled. “Nonsense, dear girl,” she said. “You are in need, and I know how important music is to you! I’d be happy to help.” She grabbed both girls’ hands. “Come along, you two! I know just where to go!”

* * *

The [interior](http://bit.ly/2owseVd) of the store was a low-ceilinged room with rows upon rows of wooden tables, upon which sat various products. One area of the store was dedicated to the company’s line of computers, ranging from full-size desktops to laptops to small, portable machines meant to be plugged in to external monitors.

On one wall were displays for the company’s line of tablets, on another, smartphones, and yet another, MP3 players like the one Vinyl had. The store was packed, filled with people of all skin colors trying out the display devices, while blue-shirted employees wandered around providing assistance.

When Sunset, Gem, and Vinyl entered, they were immediately met by Twilight, who grinned. “Hey girls!” she said happily, straightening her blue polo shirt. “How can I help you?”

“My CD player bit the dust,” explained Sunset. “So Gem wants to buy me one of those MP3 players.” She pointed to the wall displaying them.

“You’ve come to the right place!” Twilight chirped, clapping her hands. She led them over to the MP3 player area. “We have 3 different types: the big kind, like the one Vinyl has, the [nano](http://bit.ly/2ov0W1N), and the [shuffle](http://bit.ly/2oq6TxP),” she explained. The Classic model is for people with very large music libraries, like Vinyl and Emmy, while the nanos are for people with mid-size libraries, and the shuffles for people with small ones. How many songs do you have in yours, Sunset?”

Sunset blinked. “Uh….I don’t know, really. But I do have about two hundred CDs at home, in a couple of big cases.”

Twilight nodded, “You’ll probably want the Classic model then.” She reached down and unlocked a cabinet with a small key, and took out a black cardboard box, using her telekinesis to hold the box in the air while she scanned it.

Sunset looked around in mild alarm. “Should you really be using your magic in a place like this?”

Twilight smiled, “Relax, it doesn’t harm the products at all, and all of my co-workers are fine with it. It’s even turned out to be quite handy at times!” She tapped her tablet a few times. “How will you be paying for this?”

“Allow me, Twilight,” said Gem, extracting a silver card from her purse and handing it to the lavender girl, who nodded and swiped it through a reader attached to her tablet. She handed the card back to Gem, then put the product box into a small drawstring bag with the company’s fruit-based logo (a trio of apples) on both sides, then handed it to Sunset. “Enjoy!”

“Oh! Uh… thanks, you two!” Sunset took the bag, her cheeks turning as red as her hair.

Gem placed a light kiss on Sunset’s cheek. “It’s no trouble, darling.”

“Want me to come over after I get off work to help set it up?” Twilight asked. “All that importing of CDs can be pretty time consuming.”

Sunset nodded. “Yes please. See you tonight, Twilight!” She waved, and the three girls left the store.

* * *

Sunset entered her room and sat down in her desk chair, taking out the small black box from the bag and placing it on the desk in front of her. “Well, here goes nothing,” she muttered, lifting the lid. The same white rectangle she’d seen in Vinyl’s hand earlier that day now greeted her, resting in a little cutout groove in the cardboard. The other side of the box contained earbuds and a charging cable, plus a manual explaining how the product worked.

She clicked the center button, and the screen came on, with several options: Music, videos, photos, podcasts, extras, settings, and shuffle songs. Sunset smiled. “Oh yeah, this is gonna beat the tar out of my old library. Time to put some music on!” She put the player to the side, opened her laptop, (an aging PC she’d bought for cheap online) and opened her web browser, so she could download the player’s music library software. While the app installed, she grabbed the first of two large CD wallets and opened it, and began the long, tiresome process of importing her library.

As she worked, her phone buzzed. It was a text from Twilight. _< Hey Sunset! How’s your new music player treating you?>_

 _< Just fine, Twilight,> _replied Sunset. _< I really like the interface, I think it’ll be just perfect for me.>_

 _< Awesome!>_ came Twilight’s response. _< Let me know if you need a hand!_>

* * *

The next day, Sunset all but danced into CHS, her MP3 player in hand as she grooved to an Aerosmith [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkK8g6FMEXE), from the very CD she’d tried to play the day before. Vinyl saw her and grinned, sending her a thumbs up. Sunset returned it, smiling back.


	33. The Play's the Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rubies and their fellow Wondercolts put on a play.

One early autumn morning at CHS, the eight teenage girls known collectively as the Rubies were gathered around the school’s announcement board, marveling at the poster tacked prominently in the center. “Look, girls! Mr. Magnet has opened auditions for the Fall Play!” Gem announced.

“I can't believe we're doing _Dazzled_ this year,” added Aria. “Adagio wrote and starred in the original Broadway stage production!”

Raven smirked. “Of course she did.”

“After several centuries of singing,” Adagio added, “I wanted to try something different for once, and this was what resulted. It’s about Selfie Soot, a coal miner's daughter with the heart of a dancer!”

“Looks like a cross between that Loretta Lynn movie and Footloose,” Emerald observed.

Adagio nodded, “The 1980s were probably our most creative decade, and I took inspiration from both those movies when I was writing it.”

“Will you be retaking your role of Selfie for this performance?” Gem asked.

Adagio shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I played her for the entire run, I think it’s time someone else took the role for a change.” Then she gave Gem a cat-like smile. “I was thinking it should be _you_ , dear girl.”

Gem gasped. “Me?! But Selfie is a Southern Belle, and I’m… well, not!”

“Untrained British actors do tend to mangle American dialects in their performances,” Twilight agreed. “But that’s what a dialect coach is for. Besides, you spend a lot of time around Longhaul, and he speaks with a pretty strong Appleoosan accent. So, given the right coaching and techniques, you could probably pull off Selfie’s voice.”

“Then there’s your dramatic flair,” Adagio added. “You’ve always been one of the best performers in drama class. If there’s anyone who deserves to be in the spotlight, it’s you!”

Gem blushed. “Well, alright, girls. I’ll give it a try!”

* * *

Over the next few days, Gem learned all she could about replicating a Texan accent. Given her natural speaking voice was as far from Longhaul’s as it was possible to be, she had quite a lot of work to do! By the time auditions for the lead role came around though, she’d managed pretty well, and passed the audition with flying colors.

Things were not going so well for the other girls, however. One afternoon, they got together to rehearse their respective parts for the play, with Twilight playing Selfie’s mother and Raven as her father, though Twilight didn’t seem to be having a very good day.

The 3 of them stood in front of the painted backdrop representing the kitchen of the Soot household, rehearsing their lines. Sunset (as assistant director) sat in the house, holding her own copy of the script. “Mother, I fear I do not share your dreams of coal. Instead, my heartbeat calls for me to dance!” Gem proclaimed.

No one spoke. Gem tried again: Mother, I fear I do not share your dreams of coal. Instead, my heartbeat calls for me to _dance_! TO DANCE!”

Twilight blinked. Oh, sorry. Uh…” She picked up her script. “But Selfie Soot, my sweet summer child, without your help, I'll never mine the mine in time!” She dropped the script, her eyes widening as she got more and more nervous. “Or run lines with Raven in time, or help Emerald and Aria build a stage in time, or practice my monologue in time, or find time for time and time!”

“Uh… am I missing a page?” Raven asked, double-checking her own script.

Sunset climbed onto the stage, frowning out of concern. “Twilight, when was the last time you took a break from the play?”

“Take a break! Break a leg! Break a take!” Twilight babbled.

“I think she’s broken,” Raven whispered to Gem.

Sunset placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Breathe, Twilight. You just need something to take your mind off the play a little while. We're here for you. Right, everyone?”

Everyone nodded, and Gem smiled. “Why don’t you go spend a few hours with Emerald?” she suggested. “She always calms you down!”

“Yeah… I’ll go do that,” said Twilight, in a dazed sort of voice. She hurried off, leaving the other 3 girls to their work.

* * *

“Hey Sparks!” Emerald chirped, as her girlfriend entered her bedroom/mixing booth. “How’s the play going?”

“Not well,” Twilight admitted. “I’ve never been part of a theatrical production before! There’s so much to do! How can I rehearse my lines when I have a million and one other things to focus on?!”

“Am I glad to be the one-woman sound crew...” Emerald muttered, getting up from her chair. She crossed the room to the bed and sat down, pulling Twilight close. “You need to relax, Sparkle. And I know just what to do!”

“What’s that” Twilight asked.

Emerald grinned wolfishly. “Distract you, of course!” She took off her shirt and bra, exposing her pale yellow chest, then did the same for Twilight’s lavender one. She hugged the skittish scientist tight, their breasts squishing together. “What you need is some quality time with your girlfriend,” she purred, kissing Twilight’s cheek. “So: topless cuddling, and maybe some Netflix?”

Twilight smiled back. “Excellent idea, Emmy. I love you.”

“And I love you, Twilight,” Emerald replied, tapping at her phone. Soon, they were engrossed in an exciting documentary about the planets.

* * *

Rehearsals were going okay. Disco music played as Sunset directed the 3 background miners to dance in time with the music, provided by Emerald, who was sitting behind the school’s live sound console with her fingers on the faders.

“Ten seconds to set change!” Sunset announced. “Stage crew ready?”

Aria nodded, and Sunset counted down with her fingers. “In 5, 4, 3, pyro!” On cue, Aria touched her amulet, and her hands glowed as she used her weather-control magic to make real fog and mist, which she sent forwards onto the stage.

“And… bring in Shiny City!” Sunset called.

Aria pulled as hard as she could on the ropes for the prop, but the backdrop refused to move more than a few inches. The other miners (who were supposed to walk in time with the advancing city) stopped in their tracks, and Emerald brought down the faders for the music.

Sunset sighed and blew on a stray fringe of hair, walking over to the other two girls. “Aria, the effect is ruined if we don't get the set across the stage in time with the dancers!”

Aria crossed her arms and frowned. “Sunset, that set piece is _way_ too heavy, the ropes can barely take the strain!”

Sunset sighed heavily. “There's gotta be a better way to move this thing,” she groaned.

Out in the audience, Twilight raised her hand. “Don't worry, Sunset. I've got an idea!” She hurried over to the steps leading to the stage and climbed them, joining Sunset. She stood up on her tiptoes to whisper into the older girl’s ear.

Sunset grinned. “Twilight, you’re a genius! Go stand over with Aria, we’ll start over and I’ll give you your signal when it’s ready!” Twilight nodded, and went to do just that.

Sunset walked back across the stage and cupped her hands to her mouth. “Alright everyone, we’re doing scene 24 from the top! Dancers, take your places! Emerald, bring up the faders on my mark!” A pause. “Action!”

The dancers moved across the stage again as Emerald brought up their music. “Ten seconds to set change!” Sunset announced. “Stage crew ready?”

The 2 purple-skinned girls nodded, and Sunset counted down with her fingers. “In 5, 4, 3, pyro!” On cue, Aria touched her amulet, and her hands glowed as she used her weather-control magic to make real fog and mist, which she sent forwards onto the stage.

“And… bring in Shiny City!” Sunset called.

Twilight touched her own amulet, and used her telekinesis to move the Shiny City set across the stage, exactly in time with the dancers. Sunset grinned. “That’s more like it! Keep up the good work, girls!”

* * *

At last, opening night had arrived. The seats were filled with parents, teachers, and other students, all of whom had come out to watch the school’s latest production. The stage lights came on, illuminating a painted backdrop of a kitchen, with Twilight and Raven as Selfie’s parents, and Gem as Selfie herself. Gem gave a dramatic sigh and said in a surprisingly accurate Texan drawl, “Ma, Pa, I have got to leave this humdrum, do-nothin', lump-of-coal town. I'm goin' to be the best disco dancer that Club Amethyst has ever seen!”

“Bury those silly dreams in a slag heap, Selfie. Only fools try to make it big in Shiny City!” Twilight retorted, in her best old-woman voice.

In the next scene, Gem was standing in front of a coal mine backdrop, looking unhappy and covered in soot. “How will I ever become a disco dancer when all I know is coal, coal, _coal_?!” she shouted.

Adagio flew into the scene, complete with pony ears and real wings, though her siren tail was hidden by the angelic white gown she wore. “Your canary dreams have summoned me, my child. It is I, your Fairy Bootmother!” she purred, running her fingers through Gem’s hair. “Do not despair, for all coal turns to diamonds.” She held out a pair of magic dancing boots covered in amethyst rhinestones. “With these boots, you shall bring the magic of disco music to Coalville!”

In the very back row of the audience, a boy named Crow whispered to his friend Tom, “That’s the first time in all of human history that disco has been described as magical.” Tom chuckled.

* * *

After 3 nights of performances, the CHS production of _Dazzled_ had come to an end. With the sets taken down, the props put away, and the costumes stored offstage in the workroom, the time had come for the cast and crew to relax. There would be a party in the music room that night, and everyone was invited to attend.

“This is gonna be the best night ever!” Raven exclaimed, as she and Gem headed toward the party.

“Well, maybe,” commented Emerald, approaching from the opposite direction. She looked annoyed. “I put together a super special slide show of all the great memories we made while doing the play.” She held up a flash drive. “But Mr. Cranky Doodle says parties are not an "appropriate appropriation of his expensive projector.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense!” Raven exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, girls,” Gem interrupted. “In politics, there is little room for compromise, and I happen to be an excellent negotiator! Follow me!” She spun around and headed instead toward Mr. Cranky Doodle’s classroom.

“Good evening, Mr. Cranky Doodle,” said Gem crisply.

Cranky Doodle looked up. “Oh, hello Ms. Shadow. What can I do for you?”

“I am here representing my good friend, Ms. Emerald Wave,” Gem replied. “I understand you are denying her the use of a projector.”

Doodle nodded. “Yes. _My_ projector.”

“Let the record show that Mr. Cranky Doodle has identified the projector in question!” Gem continued. “Now then! We have established that this is, in fact, _your_ projector. Does that mean you take it home with you when the school day ends?”

Doodle blanched. “Well, no, I can’t do that. There are rules.”

Gem nodded. “Correct. In fact, this projector cannot leave the school premises because it isn't your projector at all. It is the property of the Canterlot school district, and members of the faculty are not allowed to take district equipment home with them! What is more, this is a public school funded by hardworking taxpayers! So, technically, is this not the _taxpayers_ ' projector?”

“Well, yes, but it’s expensive, and it could be damaged if not cared for properly,” Doodle said. “Also, I pay taxes, too!”

“It appears we have reached an impasse,” said Gem. “Allow me to make the proposal: in exchange for my friend’s use of the projector, you may attend the party to supervise its use and see that it isn’t damaged!”

“That sounds fair,” Doodle said, getting up. “By the way, you were a real star tonight, Ms. Shadow.”

Gem blushed. “Thank you kindly, sir.” And off they went to the party.


	34. Werewolves of Canterlot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A girl named Lana Lupinus is bitten by a strange wolf one night, and later transforms into one herself.

Lana Lupinus had always been fascinated by the night. No one was quite sure _why_ she was so interested in it, but her parents had been understanding when it came to allowing their daughter to explore her interests. Their prevailing theory was that her fascination with all things nocturnal was due to how much time she spent with her aunt, Luna Nocturne.

Luna had always been an intriguing woman. The sister of Lana’s father, Luna graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in astronomy, and spent her days teaching around the various high schools in and around the Canterlot metro area. It had been she who did the most to accommodate her young niece’s interests, culminating in sending a very expensive telescope to Lana for her 11th birthday.

Lana got a lot of use out of the telescope, but she also believed that by far the best way to explore the night sky was to see it in person, so she would go out for short walks around the area of Canterlot where her family lived.

That particular night was unseasonably chilly. A mist filled the air, and the starry sky above was hidden by clouds. Lana drew her hoodie closer to herself as she walked the streets, shivering slightly.

As she approached the grove of trees that marked the edge of her neighborhood, she heard an eerie sound: the howl of a wolf. It was long and loud, and sent goosebumps up her greyish-red skin.

Steeling herself, Lana kept walking toward the trees, stopping only when she thought she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. As the light of the streetlamp behind her disappeared, a shadowy object leapt toward her in a pounce, sinking its fangs into her flesh. Lana screamed and kicked at the beast, and their fight continued until both she and the creature were again bathed in soft orange light.

The beast that had attacked her, it turned out, was a wolf. It was about the size of a human, and unlike the white, brown, and black wolves Lana had read about in school, this wolf had fur that came in more vibrant colors. As soon as the light hit it, the wolf took off running into the night, leaving Lana alone. She got to her feet and ran as fast as she could toward home, her hand wet with blood from where the wolf’s teeth had bitten her.

Needless to say, her parents had been utterly horrified to find their daughter injured so grievously. They wasted no time in herding her into the car and driving her to Canterlot General Hospital, all the way on the other end of the city. They did not think about how much this would cost them, and how high the bills might be. All that mattered to Orion and Alces Lupinus was that their little girl was safe.

But as Lana sat there, sniffling and snuffling in the backseat of her mom’s SUV, something changed. The bite marks on her side, below her slowly developing chest, stopped bleeding and closed up, leaving behind a few scars, and little more. Puzzled, she ran a fingertip across one scar, and felt no pain. But she did feel a slight tingling sensation as her ears shifted, from small and round to large and wolf-like, poking out through her hair at the top of her head.

Her parents were thunderstruck when, upon arrival at the hospital, they found their daughter’s skin more or less unblemished, and even more so when it seemed the lightly furred wolf ears Lana now possessed worked perfectly, as though her old ears had never been there.

“Well, she can’t go back to school looking like this,” Orion decided, crossing his arms as he surveyed Lana’s changed appearance.

“I guess we’ll have to homeschool her,” Alces agreed. “Or maybe enroll her in an online program instead.” Given their busy schedules, the online program was the best option. Nevertheless, further discussion on the matter was tabled until the end of the summer, since it was still only May.

* * *

“Luckily for you, I have all kinds of knowledge on creatures of the night,” Luna said to Lana. Two weeks had passed since the pre-teen had been bitten, and when a few dozen searches of various websites dealing in cryptozoology proved fruitless, she had decided to seek out the only other night expert she knew. “Werewolves, vampires, the dreamscape… if it is the night you wish to learn about, you’ve come to the right place. What do you want to know?”

“Can I turn back to normal?” Lana asked at once. “I don’t wanna have wolf ears all the time!”

Luna shook her head and sighed, running her pale blue fingers through the young girl’s hair. “Lycanthropy is permanent, unfortunately. Once contracted, there is no curing it, only dealing with it… will you permit me to explain further?” At Lana’s nod, she continued. “To begin with, lycanthropes transform 3 nights a month: the full moon itself, and the nights immediately preceding and following it. Since it is now June, you will transform…” she checked her calendar, “On the nights of June 8th, 9th, and 10th.”

“Does it hurt to transform?”

Luna shook her head. “Not at all. From the moment you are bitten to the night of your first change, your body alters itself to accommodate for the monthly shifting of your skeleton, including shutting down the pain receptors in your brain for the duration of the transformation itself. When you’ve transformed, your pelt will match your hair as a human. Given the variety of hair colors available to humans, this means lycanthropes can never be confused with true wolves. In addition, after your first transformation, you will be able to shift forms whenever you wish, or when you are feeling a particularly strong emotion, such as euphoria, fury, or intense sadness."

"What else happens when I change?"

"You become driven by a wolf's natural instincts," Luna answered, "and you become indistinguishable from your true wolf cousins. This means you will not be able to speak, as humans can, though you will retain memories of your nightly adventures in your transformed state."

"What else should I know?"

Luna tapped her chin thoughtfully, then said, "Wolves are natural pack animals, and don't like to be left alone for extended periods of time. While spending time with other humans will help keep feelings of loneliness at bay somewhat, I encourage you to seek out other lycans like yourself, so that you will have... a second family, if you will." She squeezed Lana's hand with her own, and looked into her niece's eyes. "I know you are frightened... it is natural to be afraid of such a drastic shift in one's life. But you must understand that no matter how bleak things may seem, you will never be alone." She wrapped her arms around Lana, hugging her. "You will always be welcome here, if you need a sanctuary."

"Are you a werewolf, Aunt Luna?" Lana asked softly.

Luna simply shrugged, and did not answer.

* * *

Lana had woken up that morning feeling very strange. It was as if she had developed a sixth sense for knowing where the moon was in the sky at any given time. As the clock ticked closer to sunset, she felt herself growing restless, unwilling to stay cooped up in her room, which now began to feel like a cage. She eventually gave up and left the house, going on her usual nighttime walk, heading right for the trees.

The moment the sun sank below the horizon, something deep within Lana began stirring. Her eyes changed color from their normal pink-red to a bright, liquid gold, and fur the same color as her hair started sprouting from her skin. Her clothes ripped and tore as her body stretched and contorted. Her hands and feet shifted into paws, and her nose and mouth pushed outwards to form a muzzle. When all was said and done, a wolf with deep, dark red fur and gold eyes stood in a pile of ruined clothes. Seeking prey, the wolf ran off into the forest. Come the morning, Lana would be found naked, with blood on her mouth and the remains of a rabbit lying in the dirt beside her.

* * *

As the years passed, Lana became more and more separated from the rest of society. Her parents moved her to a house at the very outskirts of the city, where she could roam free as a wolf whenever she liked. She even managed to find a small pack of her own, a small group of four other lycans, all girls. They spent every full moon together, though Lana never saw them outside of those nights, since they lived within the main city, and Lana was forbidden from going there herself.

Outside of monthly wanderings with her pack however, Lana became very withdrawn. She spent nearly all of her time inside, working on homework or chatting with friends over instant messenger programs. At night, she would shift into wolf form and explore the woods before bedtime, occasionally finding a small deer to snack on. She did this so often that she grew to know the Everfree Forest (so named for the camp that lived within its depths) very well indeed.

“I don't think we can keep her holed up here for too much longer, dear,” Orion commented to his wife one night.

Alces nodded in agreement. “She’s of high school age now… I think keeping her separated from the rest of the kids her age was a bad idea, you've seen what she's like. She needs to be with other girls her age. Normal girls, I mean.”

"I'll call Luna tomorrow," Orion replied, making a note for himself. "I'm sure she can get Lana admitted to that school she works at in no time."

* * *

The truth was, CHS had never seen a student quite like Lana before. Even accounting for the school’s various peculiarities (trans-diemsnsional portal on the front lawn, eight magic-wielding students, four of whom were technically aliens from another world, the various attempted takeovers by she-demons), no such creature as a werewolf had ever set foot, or paw, on school grounds. Until now, that is.

Lana entered the building with her Aunt Luna walking alongside, her lupine ears twitching this way and that as she struggled to make sense of the new sounds she was hearing, to say nothing of the variety of smells now invading her nose. But that was nothing compared to the stares she was being given. More than a few students pointedat Lana's ears, and most talked in low murmurs about what they saw. However, a glare or two from Luna was enough to shut up most of them.

"Auntie, they're making fun of me," said Lana, as they approached Luna's office. "What am I going to do?"

Luna placed a calming hand on her niece's shoulder. "It'll be alright, Lana. There are eight girls in particular that I think you will get along well with. They have seen stranger things in their time here than young girls who transform into wolves when the moon is full." She smiled. "Seek them out at lunch. You'll know them when you see them, they are very... distinctive." And with that, Luna opened her office door and went inside.

* * *

Lunchtime was always busy at Canterlot High, but Lana's arrival had caused the usual dull roar of conversation to become an overstimulating mess, especially for someone with acute hearing. Lana kept her ears folded down as she entered the cafeteria, holding the bagged lunch her mother had made for her that morning. 

Her eyes fell on a particular table near one of the windows. Eight girls were sitting around it: At the head of the table was one with light grey skin, shoulder-length brown hair, and a navy blue sweater. At her right was a lavender skinned girl with purple and black hair, and to the grey girl's left, an amber-skinned girl with red and yellow hair. The rough middle of the table was taken up by another yellow girl, another with magenta skin, and a third with blue. Finally, there was a girl who looked like a scientist, and a curly-haired yellow girl with rectangular glasses.

Bracing herself, Lana moved forward toward the table. A hush fell over the room as she walked. She approached the grey girl and asked in a quiet voice, "Excuse me, but are you... are you the girls my aunt Luna spoke of?"

"I suppose we must be," said the grey girl, turning to Lana and smiling warmly. "You must be Lana, yes? It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Gemini Shadow, and these are my friends." She gestured to the seven girls sitting beside her. "Would you like to join us?"

"Yes please!" Lana said eagerly, and took the only available chair left at the table. "Finally, some people who aren't going to... stare... at me..." She paused, staring at Emerald. She sniffed, and her eyes seemed to flare with golden light. She gasped. "You... your scent! You smell like a wolf! Like me!”

Emerald blinked. “Who, me? Don’t be ridiculous! I’m no werewolf!”

Another memory flashed in Lana’s mind. “You are,” she said. “I remember a wolf with curly brown fur, and bright green eyes... she was part of my old pack. I never saw her as a human, only as wolves.”

Emerald sighed and closed her eyes. “Dammit, you found me...”

Twilight stared at her girlfriend with a concerned, if frightened, expression on her face. “What does she mean, Emmy?”

“I’m a werewolf, Sparks...” said Emerald sadly. “Just like her.” She moved a few locks of her hair aside to reveal the yellow wolf ears that poked through her curls. “Before I met you, I was part of Lana’s pack, just like she said.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Twilight asked, looking hurt.

“And risk making you like me?” Emerald said loudly. “I’m a wild animal in wolf form, Sparks! Wolves don’t usually prey on humans, but sometimes we do! And if I ever hurt you, I’d never be able to live with myself!”

Twilight thought this over and nodded, giving Emerald a hug. “I guess that’s fair,” she admitted. “And it _does_ explain why you’re always so moody around the full moon… I always thought it was your time of the month, even though you don’t have a menstrualcycle.”

Emerald smirked. “Hormone injections and lycanthropy do strange things to a girl. And before you ask, no, you’re not going to turn into a werewolf when we have sex. I’d have to bite you first.” Twilight blushed bright red, and she laughed.

Sunset raised a hand. “Okay, so, apart from me, Emerald, Lana, and the Dazzlings, is anyone else here a mystical magical creature previously thought to be legendary?” When no one raised their hands, she nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Gem squeezed Lana’s hand and smiled. “Welcome to the group, my dear. I think you’ll fit right in!”

Lana smiled back and nodded. “You know? I think I will.” And the nine girls finally began to eat their lunches.


	35. A Match Made in Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vinyl Scratch, otherwise known as Natasia the demon, pursues a relationship with Octavia Melody.

The Battle of the Bands was in full swing. Up on the stage, Octavia Melody’s cello echoed throughout the auditorium. She sat on a stool, eyes closed, the bow held between her fingers as she played. Her foot pumped on a looping pedal, so that she was essentially playing with herself. Her [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nAE5rWDQkw) was sad and spoke of regret, lost things, loneliness, and death.

At the end of the song, boos from the other bands and lackluster applause from the judges met her ears. She huffed. "None of you know good classical music when you hear it!" she exclaims, storing off stage. She ran off, her cello bow in one hand, sobbing. She enters the hall and into the nearest bathroom. Further down the hall, snatches of sirens singing could just barely be heard. They seemed to be practicing.

Raven Sable entered the bathroom, having seen Octavia bolt from the stage in tears, followed closely by Vinyl.  Vinyl had a more worried look on her face than before, it was apparent even behind her sunglasses. Raven went to where Octavia was hunched over, sobbing. Placing a hand on her shoulders, she smiled at Octavia. "You play beautifully, don't worry about what those uncultured cretins out there did."

Octavia snarls, her purple eyes flaring green for a brief moment as she locked eyes with Raven, "Why should I listen to you? You're no better than they are, turning the showcase into a musical fight with your ex-girlfriend... get away from me!” The siren singing had grown a little louder now.

"Okay, I admit there was a bit of… tension between Gem and myself, but that's over now! We're going to—”  Raven was stopped by Vinyl's hand on her shoulder.  Holding up her spare set of headphones, Vinyl slipped them over Octavia's head, and after scrolling through the playlist on her music player, pressed the [Play](https://youtu.be/nOr0na6mKJQ) button.

Octavia closes her eyes and listens to the song. When the string part begins, her fingers automatically begin figuring out how to play it. She reopens her eyes, and again they are purple. She smiles at the DJ. "So you're that girl I've been seeing all night... I am glad to finally meet you at last." She looks to both of them, "My name is Octavia Melody."

"Vinyl Scratch," said the DJ, extending a hand.  "Your music is awesome."

Raven watched as the two shook hands.  "Gem and I have a plan to defeat the Dazzlings, but we'll need everyone’s help to do that.  I've already recruited one other, and Gem is working on the second.  Octavia, Vinyl -- would you two join with us?" she asked.

Vinyl thought for a moment, then put her hand out flat.  "I'm in.  Whatever you need."

Raven put her hand on top of Vinyl's, then looked at Octavia.  "Octavia, would you join us?"

Octavia nods, placing her hand on top of Vinyl's. "With pleasure, Miss Raven." 

Suddenly there's a series of hurried knocks on the door, and Gem's voice is heard. "Raven, what's taking you? The Dazzlings will be on in a minute, then the judges are going to decide who's going to face them in the final!"

"Be out in a minute, Gem!"  Raven called out, smirking at Octavia and Vinyl.  "Come on girls, we have work to do.”

* * *

The night of the final arrived, and the amphitheater was packed with the student body of Canterlot High.  Backstage, The Dazzlings were preparing to take the stage. With some encouragement from Adagio, a certain great and powerful musician had managed to ensnare The Mystical Gallopfreyans in a trap, leaving them under the stage as the show was set to begin. Trixie and The Illusions took to the stage, performing their song to smatterings of applause, before The Dazzlings made their way to the stage.

"Try to top that!" Trixie said boastfully.

"Oh, gosh! I don't know if we can!" Adagio said sarcastically, as the rest of The Dazzlings laughed and began their pre-show vocalizations.

Gem is down below, trying without success to open the door by taking run-ups. Vinyl was nowhere to be found, and neither was her magic screwdriver. "Arrrrgh! This isn't working!" she shouts, rubbing her bruised shoulder.

The door suddenly swung open at that point to reveal Vinyl, a smile on her face, looking over the group.  "If you guys are done, there's a world to save?" she says with some mirth in her voice.  She walks over to Gem.  "Here, you dropped this when you got trapped down here, I guess.  It's been buzzing like crazy."  She hands over the magic screwdriver.

Raven was quick to grab her instrument.  "Come on!  If we don't get set up quickly, we'll never be able to stop them!"

"Has anyone seen Sunset Shimmer?" Gem asks, pocketing the screwdriver as they run past the ampitheatre toward a distant hill, "I hope she's around somewhere... preferably not hypnotized.”

* * *

Sunset waits with Vinyl on the hill as the band approaches.  "Sorry, I ran late.  When I saw Trixie performing, I feared something happened to you, so I asked Vinyl to go look for you."  She peers down at the green mist filling the arena.  "Good thing I waited up here, no telling what would have happened if I'd been in there."

Gem's device buzzes louder than ever, almost shrieking as the raw, dark magic flowed around the area. "This is our chance!"

Vinyl grins and pushes a button on her car dashboard, transforming it into a DJ stand. "I know just what you mean!" She taps a few keys, and there's a loud burst of feedback as she hacks into the ampitheatre's sound system.

Gem grabs her car keys and scrapes the teeth up and down Octavia's cello strings, much to her chagrin, and says "Now that I have your attention..." She interrupts the Dazzlings [mid-song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOgo9GdrD2Q), and begins one of her own. As they sang, the five girls transform into humanoid pony forms.

Adagio scoffed as the song ended. "So the Gallopfreyans want to turn this into a real Battle of the Bands? Then let's battle!"  The Dazzlings resumed their song.  As they sang, their bodies transformed into some form of pony-dragon hybrid, their dragon essence emerging and swooping around the Gallopfreyans.  With one particularly high note, the Gallopfreyans were knocked to the ground, Gem's microphone slipping out of her hand and landing on the ground near Sunset. 

“Sunset, we need you!” Gem shouted.

Sunset rushed forward, grabbing the microphone, and nodding to Vinyl, who quickly set up a new beat.  With a knowing smile, Sunset began to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuwnltTO1V4&feature=youtu.be) as the rest of the band slowly recovered. 

As the band plays, a spectral horse soars toward the ghostly avatars of the Dazzlings and obliterates them, shattering the red gemstones around their necks in the same moment, returning the Dazzlings to their original form. 

Attempting to regain their power, they begin to sing — horribly, and off-key.  The crowd boos loudly, and the three make a break for backstage.

* * *

“Man, was that a wild night, or what?” Vinyl Scratch asked Octavia Melody, as the DJ drove the cellist home. 

“More like a wild three days,” Octavia observed. “I’ve been brainwashed more than enough already, between Sunset’s actions and now the Dazzlings.”

“Not all bad though,” Vinyl added, smiling a little. As she pulled up to a stoplight, she took Octavia’s hand briefly. “It led me to you.”

Octavia blushed. “Me? Why am I so important all of a sudden? I’m not a professional cellist!”

“Coulda fooled me,” Vinyl answered, focusing back on the road as the light turned green. “I’ve been listening to you practice in the music rooms every morning for the last six months. Just because I play techno and dubstep doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate classical music when I hear it.” She tapped a touch screen mounted to the front of the dashboard, and a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqB1MbXSeGk) played. It was quite unique, a perfect blend between classical music (specifically the cello) and electronica.

The grey-skinned girl gasped. “That’s… that’s _my_ cello! You were recording me in secret?!”

“Hey, it’s for a good cause,” said Vinyl, grinning. “Don’t deny it, you like it!”

“Okay, yes, I do,” Octavia admitted. “Two diametrically opposed genres really ought not mesh well, but in your hands… they make for quite engaging listening. Perhaps we might make music together sometime.”

“I certainly hope so, Octavia Melody,” Vinyl said, stopping the car outside an opulent manor house that would put Shadowfall to shame. She kissed the cellist’s cheek. “See you tomorrow then?”

“Definitely,” said Octavia at once, climbing out of the car. “Goodnight, Ms. Scratch. Thank you for the ride.”

“Anytime!” Vinyl started the car, and drove off into the night.

* * *

Vinyl turned off her car’s ignition, stepped out, and pressed a button on the keyfob. The car whirred and folded back into itself, transforming into a small, flat rectangle about the size of a smartphone, which she slipped into a pocket, before swiping at the air with her hand, as if they were claws. A rip in the fabric of reality opened, and she stepped through, arriving in front of an ominous-looking castle. The sky was a dark, turbulent grey, and the wind was cold, but that didn’t bother Vinyl. She took off her sunglasses, exposing her bright red, snake-like pupils. The rip closed behind her, and she began transforming into an altogether inhuman shape. 

Two curved goat horns sprouted from her head, a thin, spaded tail sprouted from a hole that had appeared in her purple leggings, her legs themselves became furry and goat-like, and bright blue scales coated her cheek and neck. Dark grey fur the same color as Octavia’s hair sprouted on her torso, and her fingernails extended into black claws. Wings sprouted from her back. Last of all, her skin changed colors, from very pale yellow to a more red shade. “Much better,” said Natasia, youngest daughter of Satan, before heading through the front doors.

“Welcome home, little sis,” said another demoness, who was sitting on a recliner chair with her hooves propped up. She was taller and more goat-like than Vinyl, and her name was Mephistophiles, or simply Mephi for short. Neither of them spoke English, instead, their speech was harsh and guttural, and would’ve pained any human who heard it. “How was your evening with the humans?” Mephi asked.

Natasia grinned and bared her teeth in a wicked smile. “Supernatural,” she replied. “You remember that Sunset Shimmer girl I told you about, right? And those two human friends of hers, Gemini and Raven?”

Mephi nodded. “I do, Raven especially. Go on.”

Nata sat on the couch and teleported a cup of arsenic-flavored coffee into her hand. Since she was a demon, poisons didn’t affect her. “Gemini sang some song about friendship and magic and almost got her ass handed to her by those sirens, until Sunset and I intervened.”

“If you ask me, I still say you spend too much time around them,” Mephi said, shrugging. “It’s like a wolf spending a day with bunny rabbits. You’ll go soft, and the next thing you know, we’ll lose our reputation as the worst place in existence, at least for sinners.”

“Oh calm down,” said Nata, sipping her coffee. “I like them. They’re a lot more fun to spend time with than most of the demons in this place.”

“I mean it, Natasia,” said Mephi firmly. “Just imagine what you’d do if you fell in love with one of them, for example. You’re not just a demon, you’re royalty. And no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to hide your true form from any human you happen to fall in love with forever. And humans _hate_ demons.”

“Not _all_ of them do, Mephistophiles!” Nata said loudly. “You know there are cultists out there! Remember Aleister Crowley?”

“Yes, and the British press couldn’t stand him,” Mephi shot back. “What are you going to do? Date a human, then drag them down here? You know what our magic can do.”

“And then they’d be a demon, just like us,” Nata replied. “So what does it matter?”

“Because then there is one less human soul for us, and besides, they’d never be a _real_ demon. The transformed ones have always been weaker!” She froze. “You… you actually _like_ a human, don’t you?” Before Natasia could answer, Mephi grabbed her sister’s hand and used her magic to read Nata’s mind. She saw a girl with grey skin, smoky black hair, and purple eyes repeatedly. As the vision faded, her eyes narrowed. “Natasia… if you go after that human, I’m telling Father.”

“Tell him all you like,” Nata shouts. “He hates me, we both know that!”

“He doesn’t hate you,” Mephi said. “He just wishes you didn’t spend so much time on Earth!”

“And have you ever thought about _why_ I spend so much time up there?” Nata asked. “Well, I’ll tell you: I _hate_ being a demon. I’m not a torturer like you and Dad, I hate it when I have to go on punishment duty! If it was possible I’d purge myself of my powers and live there permanently!”

“You really _have_ gone soft!” Mephi yelled. “You’re absolutely pathetic! Fine, if you like living with humans so much, go and do it now!” She tore open a portal with her claws and shoved Nata through it, snarling. “You’ll never be Queen of Hell, Natasia Cypher, not while I have anything to say about it! In fact… I’m going to banish you from this castle for the rest of eternity!”

“DO IT THEN!” Nata roared. “I DON’T CARE IF I NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN! GO TO HEAVEN, YOU FUCKING BITCH!” She closed the portal and flew as far and as high as she could, eventually landing on a cloud above downtown Canterlot. Using magic to make herself invisible, she began to cry, black tears running down her cheeks.

* * *

It was an utterly exhausted Vinyl Scratch that made her way through the front doors of CHS the following morning. After her tears dried, she’d changed back into her human form and headed back to the crappy apartment she’d rented from Sunset when the latter had moved into the house Gem had bought for her. She couldn’t sleep though, as her sister’s words echoed through her head all night. And when she had finally managed to catch some Z’s, her alarm had gone off an hour later, leading to the present moment.

Octavia Melody knew none of this, of course. She strode through the front doors, her bowtie straight, her vest, dress shirt, pink skirt, and black shoes with white socks all pressed and shined, and her cello case on her back. She spotted Vinyl and frowned out of concern. “Ms. Scratch! Are you quite alright? You look like you haven’t slept!”

Vinyl looked up. “Huh? Who… oh. It’s you, Tavi.” She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand to hide her sharp teeth and forked tongue. “Yeah, I couldn’t sleep worth shit last night… too much on my mind.”

“Would you like to talk about it?” Octavia asked, tilting her head to one side.

Vinyl shrugged. “Ain’t much… just a bad fight with my sister.”

Octavia nodded. “I see… or I would, if I had a sister of my own. I’m an only child, of course, but that doesn’t mean I can’t empathize. What was the fight about?”

Vinyl was quiet for a moment as she tried to figure out how best to phrase this without revealing herself as a demon. Now she understood how Gem must have felt when discussing her own past. “She… doesn’t like me dating outside of my class,” she said eventually.

Octavia sighed sympathetically. “Of course, inter-class relationships are _always_ controversial… the amount of grief Gemini gets from her mother about Raven is truly astronomical. Who is the man you have your eye on?”

Vinyl smiled for the first time in twelve hours. “Actually, it’s not a guy… I prefer girls. And she’s got grey skin, black hair, and purple eyes. Oh yeah, and she plays the cello.”

Octavia blushed bright red. “Me? Really?”

Vinyl nodded. “I’ve had a crush on you for a while now, Tavi. I’d like to be your girlfriend, if you’ll let me.”

Octavia smiled. “But of course I will, Ms. Scratch.” And she placed a kiss on the pale girl’s cheek.

* * *

The news that Octavia Melody was now dating Vinyl Scratch spread quickly throughout the day. At lunch, the two musicians joined Lyra, Bonbon, and Derpy at their usual table, and after some quick congratulations (and Lyra reluctantly handing Derpy a $10 bill for reasons she refused to explain), the five friends got to talking happily with one another.

That afternoon, Vinyl and Octavia got together in the music room to rehearse. Octavia had her cello, and Vinyl had her portable DJ stand. The weather had changed from sunny to cloudy, and through the window of the rehearsal room, Vinyl could see building storm clouds. She sighed. Storms had a way of bringing out her inner demon, whether she wanted it or not.

Even so, she switched on her stand and set up a simple beat, letting Octavia play lead. Both girls closed their eyes so they could focus better on the music, and for Vinyl, it was freeing. Suddenly, her problems with her family and her fears of how Octavia might react to her true identity seemed a million miles away. Then the power went out, and the beat died.

Vinyl opened her eyes, and looked out the window. The sky was now very dark, and the wind was howling. She could see lightning strikes every few seconds, and the low rumble of thunder was audible as it vibrated near the school.

Octavia looked over and gasped. “Vinyl, are you alright? You look sick!”

“I… I gotta go! Be right back!” Vinyl ran toward the nearest girls’ bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she could see that most of her human form was holding together (being so powerful, she could hold back the changes much better than any other demon), but only just. She stuffed her tail down her leggings and pulled up the hood of her hoodie to keep her changing ears hidden from view, and returned to Octavia.

As she walked though, she had to grit her teeth and concentrate, putting all her effort into keeping herself from changing. She sighed, realizing it was a lost cause. _“Alright… I can’t do this anymore… she needs to know…”_ she muttered, in the harsh, guttural language of her people. She stepped into the room. “Tavi? There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Vinyl, what’s wrong? Is everything alright?” asked the cellist, putting her cello back in its case and going to her girlfriend.

“It’s… complicated,” said Vinyl eventually. “The first thing you should know is, Gem and her friends aren’t the only girls with magic powers. I have them too.”

“Does that mean you’re secretly from that other world, like Sunset and the Dazzlings are?” Octavia asked.

Vinyl laughed humorlessly. “I wish. No, my magic is… different. Really different.” After making sure there wouldn’t be any witnesses, Vinyl transformed, and took off her shades, revealing blood red, cat-like eyes. “My name isn’t really Vinyl Scratch,” she explained. “I am Natasia, daughter of Satan. I’m a demon.”

Octavia stared, astounded. “Well… I suppose it’s not the _strangest_ thing I’ve seen all day…”

Natasia blinked. “Really? You aren’t scared?”

Octavia shook her head. “Of course I’m not, Vinyl. Or, I suppose, Natasia.” She smiled, and kissed the DJ’s scaly cheek. “I am used to the supernatural, attending this school and all. And I know that you are one of the nicest girls at CHS, even if your father is the embodiment of sin.”

Vinyl blushed. “You’re too good to me, Tavi. Want to go visit Hell sometime this weekend? I can take you to a small apartment I have on the residential level. My total bitch of a sister threw me out of my actual home, so I got that place instead.”

Octavia nodded. “I think that sounds truly delightful. But first… let’s finish our song, shall we?” And so they [did](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mprSRvXs0iM).


	36. Lyra Visits CHS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tired of hearing about the human world second-hoof, Lyra decides to go and explore it herself.

Lyra Heartstrings had always been a rather strange mare. Though she was a musician, she didn’t spend much time on her music, save for busking in the mornings to supplement the income she and her _best friend_ , Bon-Bon, earned from her candy shop. Instead, she spent time trying to prove the existence of humans.

It was difficult work, since the only known records of humans ever existing in the land that is now Equestria had all but disappeared. Bon-Bon, bless her, tolerated her little obsession so long as it didn’t make her look like a laughing stock, and for that, Lyra was grateful.

Things changed, though, when Twilight went to her first princess summit shortly after her ascension. Details were sketchy, but word eventually got around that Princess Twilight had to go on a secret mission. Officially, the mission was a state secret, but that didn’t stop a team of royal guards from Canterlot delivering a mirror to the castle in broad daylight, or for Princess Twilight from installing it in her castle’s library, one of the few rooms in the place that was open to the public.

Eventually, Lyra plucked up enough courage to ask Spike about what he’d seen, and that gave her enough information to set up a corkboard decorated with what she hoped were accurate anatomical drawings of humans, and what notes on their culture she could find.

Then, every so often, visitors from the other world would drop by. Those were usually a pair of unicorns, Sunset Shimmer and Gemini Shadow. Unfortunately she was always busy whenever they were in town. This annoyed Lyra, because she knew just _hearing_ about the other world second-hoof wouldn’t be enough, she would have to go experience it for herself, and the best way to do that would be when Twilight wasn’t around to stop her.

So, late one night, after Bon-Bon had gone to sleep and the town was quiet, Lyra snuck out of her house and crept across Ponyville to Princess Twilight’s castle. After slowly opening the door so as to not wake anypony up, Lyra trotted softly to the library, and peeked in. She was in luck! Not only was nopony around, the device Twilight used to go through was turned on! This would be a cinch! With a grin, Lyra dove through the glass of the mirror, which rippled like water.

The next thing she saw was a whirl of color and light, and then, before she knew it, she was lying on something hard and rough. She opened her eyes and was greeted with the sight of a clear blue sky, a street with some houses, and… something very strange indeed. Her front hooves weren’t hooves anymore! Instead, they looked like hands! They _were_ hands! What was more, they were the same shade of mint green as her fur was!

“Hands! I have hands!” Lyra squeaked, getting to all fours before remembering that humans walked on two legs. She pulled herself up, using the statue to balance her. “I’m a human, I’m a human, I’m a human!”

“Well, duh? Of course you’re a human,” said a familiar voice. Lyra turned and was surprised to find a cream-colored face with light blue eyes and blue and pink curly hair looking back at her with a puzzled expression. Bon-Bon’s human counterpart blinked. “What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were at the marching band competition!” She thought for a moment. “Unless you’re the other Lyra, from that pony world Sunset comes from.”

“Yeah, I’m a pony!” said Lyra cheerfully. “A unicorn, to be specific! Oh my Celestia, a real human, standing right in front of me and saying actual words! This is so awesome!” She squished her cheeks with her hands, then bounced up and down, holding her hands curled and bent at the wrist, as if they were hooves. “I’m so happy I could cry!”

Bon-Bon sighed. “Oh brother… come on Ly, let’s get you inside before class starts.” She grabbed Lyra’s arm and pulled her up the stairs and into the main entrance of CHS, while Lyra herself looked around with awe at everything in front of her.

As they walked down the hall toward Bon-Bon’s locker, Lyra pointed at a certain grey-skinned girl wearing a blue sweater. “Whoa, who’s she? Is she my twin?!”

Bon-Bon blinked, “Kind of? She used to have hair like yours, actually, but a couple summers ago she started trying a new hairstyle that she likes better. Her name’s Gem.”

Lyra neighed happily and ran over to Gem, embracing her in a bone-crushing hug. “Hi almost twin sister! I’m Lyra Heartstrings, but the pony version!”

“Hello… Lyra…” Gem gasped, her cheeks starting to turn blue to match her sweater. “Bon-Bon… help…”

“Don’t worry Bonnie, I got it!” said a Manehattan-accented voice. Raven Sable came walking down the hall and pulled Lyra off her girlfriend, chuckling. “What gives, Heartstrings? I mean, Gem’s hot and all, but it’s not like you to go after girls who aren’t Bonnie!”

“She’s not our Lyra, Raven,” Gem explained, panting as she regained her breath. “She’s visiting from Equestria.”

Raven blinked. “Does Princess Twilight know she’s here? I don’t want this to become a repeat of the Trixie incident.”

“What happened with the Trixie incident?” asked Lyra.

“Her pony counterpart wound up here and scared the living daylights out of everyone,” Sunset Shimmer answered, as she joined the growing group at Bon-Bon’s locker. “You were there for that though, so I don’t know why you’re asking.”

“Pony Lyra, Sunny,” said Raven quickly. “And we still don’t know if Princess Twilight knows she’s here or not!”

“Did you tell her?” Sunset asked Lyra, looking suspicious. “Because she got really mad at me when Trixie came, and I’d rather not be on the receiving end of a Twilight lecture again if I can help it.”

Lyra wrung her hands. “No, I didn’t tell her,” she eventually said. “But it’ll be okay, right?! What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her!” She looked pleadingly at Sunset. “ _Please_ don’t make me go back there so soon, I only just got here! I wanna learn as much as I can about humans first!”

Sunset sighed heavily. “Fine, I guess you can stay… but just until after school, okay? Then you have to go home!”

“YAY!” Lyra started bouncing again, and followed Bon-Bon off to her first class of the day.

* * *

At any other school, the sudden appearance of a student’s equine trans-dimensional counterpart would have led to awkward questions, but at Canterlot High, all that happened was a stern warning from Luna about detention in case Lyra misbehaved. Fortunately, Lyra was able to keep herself in check during Home Ec, Anatomy, English, and World History. During lunch, she joined Bon-Bon at her table with Vinyl and Octavia.

“So, Ms. Heartstrings,” said Octavia as she ate her salad, “Bon-Bon says you are from the realm that Sunset Shimmer once called home, correct?”

Lyra nodded. “Yup! Your pony self is a big-time cellist! You performed at the Grand Galloping Gala, the wedding of Cranky Doodle and Matilda, and of course, you spent 8 years with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra!”

“Very impressive!” Octavia smiled. “I do hope I attain similar heights in the future, maybe the two of us can compare notes one of these days.”

Vinyl smirked. “I know I wouldn’t mind,” she said, giving Octavia a kiss on the cheek. Octavia blushed.

“So, what is it with you and humans?” Bon-Bon asked, turning to Lyra. “I didn’t think there were any in Equestria!”

“Oh, there were,” Lyra explained, “But it was centuries ago, so long ago that there are almost no records of that time left. You see, pony history is usually divided up into generations, with the first generation being the time where humans and ponies lived together in peace. There’s also the second generation, where even fewer records exist, the third, the third-and-a-half generation, and the current generation, the fourth. None of those have records of humans however, at least until Princess Twilight first came here.”

“I remember that,” Vinyl commented. “Didn’t know she was royalty though. Nice girl, atrocious dancer though.”

Lyra laughed. “Yeah, she’s pretty terrible. I heard from Rarity that she once did that exact dance at a garden party in Canterlot! In front of a dozen nobles! Can you believe it?!”

Octavia blanched. “She wasn’t a princess then, was she?”

Lyra shook her head. “Nope, back then she was just a regular old unicorn like me. She didn’t become a princess until her third year in Ponyville!”

“That coronation must have been quite something,” Bon-Bon observed. “All the nobles we’ve seen just became such by marriage.”

“Right, like that one actress from California!” Vinyl said, snapping her fingers. “When Gem heard she was marrying the Prince, she got so excited she stayed up all night to watch the ceremony!”

“I thought the British weren’t terribly interested in the royal family,” said Octavia.

Vinyl shrugged. “It’s Gem, you know how proud she is of her heritage. Even after she became a dual British-American citizen, she still likes to fly the Union Jack outside her house every Fourth of July.”

Lyra blinked. “What’s the Fourth of July?”

“It’s a holiday marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence,” Bon-Bon replied. “People celebrate it by lighting fireworks, singing patriotic songs, dressing up like colonials…”

“Or, in Gem’s case, jokingly announcing that your house remains sovereign territory of the British Crown,” Vinyl added. “She does it every year just to mess with people.”

“I see!” Lyra nodded. “Gem sounds like an interesting girl, you certainly talk about her a lot.”

“Yeah, she and her friends are kinda sorta famous,” Bon-Bon said. “They save the school about once a year.”

“Freshman year we had the Fall Formal and the Dazzlings,” Vinyl said, counting on her fingers, “Junior year was the Friendship Games and the trip to Camp Everfree, senior year…”

“That Chrysalis woman turned up, and Chancellor Neighsay tried to get the school shut down,” Octavia finished.

Lyra whistled. “They sound like this world’s versions of Twilight and her friends!”

Bon-Bon nodded. “Pretty much, yeah.” Then the bell rang, and the four hurried off to their next class.

* * *

At the end of the day, Lyra, Sunset, and Bon-Bon were grouped together in front of the portal. “Well, time for you to go home,” said Sunset, smiling. “It was great to meet you though.”

“It was nice meeting you too!” said Lyra happily, giving Sunset and Bon-Bon hugs. “I’ll try to come back sometime! See you later!” She dove through the stone, which rippled in her wake.

On the other side, Twilight was waiting for her, looking annoyed. “I _thought_ this mirror was locked up!” she said. “How’d you get through, Lyra?”

Lyra gulped, lowered her ears, and said: “Uh… dumb luck?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, and sent Lyra away, mumbling something about putting a guard posting there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was a New Equestria story, but I ended up rejecting it since, due to the way that's been set up, there isn't much a difference between the two worlds, and half the fun of writing about Lyra's human obsession comes from the difference in culture.
> 
> My head canon for pony history includes everything stretching back to the original 1980s specials, so Lyra's description of the pony generations is roughly analogous to the history of the toy line and the associated media.


End file.
